


Parallel

by Saharhis



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst and Tragedy, Blood and Injury, Canon-Typical Violence, Drama, Established Relationship, Everything Hurts, F/M, Fluff, Heavy Conquest Spoilers, I just keep having to add tags, Light Birthright Spoilers, Mind Manipulation, Psychological Drama, Tragic Romance, Unrequited Love, What Have I Done
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-12
Updated: 2016-05-30
Packaged: 2018-06-01 21:41:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 39,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6537322
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Saharhis/pseuds/Saharhis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It had been a few years since Corrin's decision to choose Hoshido over Nohr, and in the interim she had found a loving husband in Takumi. One night everything changed when she suddenly awoke in a Nohrian bed, Hoshido now her enemy. </p>
<p>Update 5/30 - It is complete.<br/>Parallel is essentially two stories in one, the story of Leo from the Nohrian side, and the story of Corrin from the Hoshidan side. Chapter 9 is Corrin's ending, Chapter 10 is Leo's.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chimera

**Author's Note:**

> *Massive Conquest Spoilers - please don't go on if you haven't played the game and/or spoiled yourself *  
> I tried to stay as true to the plot of Fates as possible with the beginning backstory, and I'll be referencing the actual story quite a bit during this, but it doesn't "quite" follow the same path as you can imagine. 
> 
> This ended up being an idea I started tossing around like, "What if things suddenly flip flopped? How would Corrin react?" Takumi and Leo are my favorite guys from Fates (clearly I have a thing for younger Princes). I'm playing off this being a few years after the war has started, but the war is still going on. This is mostly to play with the kids being available (those deeprealms I swear). 
> 
> Thank you for reading! I know chapter one is long! I didn't want to end it too soon ya know? Echo is the name of my camp, so if you see me online give me a shout :o

An impossible decision.

To her left stood Nohr, the dark, desolate country ruled by a tyrant of a King. To her right stood Hoshido, a warm, welcoming, seemingly happy kingdom only just recently ruled by her Mother. Concerned eyes and a longing hand reached for hers from the left; the only family she had ever known came from Nohr, the only family she had ever loved, filled with the only customs, traditions and memories she ever knew. Anxious eyes and a reassuring hand reached for hers from Hoshido, a family she did not know though had substantial history with; in a few days time she learned of her actual birth, lost her Mother, and discovered she had the power to transform into a dragon. This family was ultimately accepting of her - with the exception of the younger Prince Takumi - and despite the tumultuous last few days, they still wanted her with them.

It was an impossible decision.

Nohr was her family, her home by force through her adoptive Father, King Garon, who stashed her away in a tower for years with no ability to leave. The only silver lining was her retainers and servants, and her siblings, who loved and accepted her, and she the same. Hoshido was not without its faults - in retaliation for capturing her, they in turn captured Azura, a Nohrian princess by marriage.  
Though Hoshido treated her well, Nohr made no attempts to retrieve her. Despite everything she was still a Nohrian to them, and there would be retaliation to her presence, especially due to the loss of Queen Mikoto and the countless lives of the townspeople by her Father's hand. King Garon had used her as a pawn to slay their Queen; to slay her birth Mother.

It was truly an impossible decision.

-

"O-oh! Oh no! I missed it..." A young girl stammered over to her missed target, her arrow had grazed past, landing nearby.

" You need to concentrate." A young man sternly told her, arms crossed.

"I’ll hit it this time!" She exclaimed as she assumed her stance; legs apart, knees straight, shoulders aligned with the bow. She pulled the string back, let the arrow go only for it to fall in spectacular fashion just a few feet in front of them.

"Wha...“ She looked puzzled as she stared at the arrow that had leapt from her bow and fell a short step in front of her, almost mockingly.

"Okay what's wrong? You haven't been this bad since you started." He asked, with slight concern in his voice.

"I guess I'm just distracted." She slowly mumbled as she picked up the arrow, returning it to her quiver.

"We're done for today. If you can't take this seriously then there is no point in you practicing." His voice was cold, his deep golden eyes piercing, and his expression stoic.

"No I can do this! I promise I can!" She exclaimed, bow and quiver in hand.

"I've given you enough chances today. Come back tomorrow." He told her, taking the supplies.

"Okay..." she sighed, "but you'll be home for dinner, right?"

"Of course." He smiled.

"Great! I'll see you then!" She quickly kissed his cheek and left the training range, he waving her off. She headed towards her home, a spectacular converted home built into a tree, provided to her by one of her few friends from Nohr, Lilith. Lilith had saved her life multiple times, and as fate would have it, she had the ability to transform into a dragon as well, though her form was different. Above all, Lilith had given her and her army a place to stay, safe from enemy armies, saves for random encounters.

The small space that Lilith had provided was named Echo, and it contained many modern accouterments that would be difficult for traveling - an armory, a blacksmith, a mess hall, even a fighting arena. It was mostly a small town rather than a large encampment, and it served them well.

She opened the door to her home to be met by Jakob and his son, Dwyer; Jakob being her retainer and butler. He was fairly special to her, having served her since her childhood, and she was special to him, having saved him from a life of misery at a young age, just by being accepting of him.

"Welcome home, Lady Corrin," Jakob said warmly, tray of tea and cookies in hand, "The tea is ready, if you'll have a seat."

"Thank you Jakob," Corrin, still dressed in training attire, sat at a small table in the main room of the home. There were multiple bookshelves housing countless numbers of texts on history, math and strategy, while the walls were peppered with various trinkets and collectibles. Nearby was a desk with writing supplies as well as a small kitchen.

"It's nice," she said softly, drinking the tea. It had subtle notes of lemon, with a spicy undertone.

"You should try my coffee instead, Lady Corrin...." Dwyer, Jakob's apathetic son and perhaps his greatest rival began, "I'm sure it's better than the same tea he has made for years."

"Excuse me!?" Jakob exclaimed, hurriedly turning toward Dwyer, "How dare you Lady Corrin has never once had a complaint!"

"Maybe that's the problem.." Dwyer smirked, "Do you still like his tea Milady?" Jakob quickly turned to Corrin with a peculiar expression, his lips pursed and his eyes wide.

"O-of course! I have always loved his tea." Corrin hid back laughter as she watched Jakob's expression quickly change. Jakob loved his son dearly, though he was quickly being outclassed by him.

"See? She has no need for your coffee. You should go back to the kitchen and practice preparing a decent drink."

"She didn't say that."

"I'll try the coffee," Corrin began, "I love your tea, but we should at least entertain the idea of a different drink every once in awhile."

"Success!" Dwyer hurriedly placed the coffee before Corrin, all the while smirking at his seemingly defeated Father, who was glaring at Dwyer with such significance, he could have easily threw a dagger at his head and thought nothing of it.

"It's very nice!" Corrin said as she sipped the warm drink. It had a creamy note to it; Dwyer had clearly put a substantial amount of milk and sugar in.

"But which do you like better!?" Jakob exclaimed, slamming a hand on the small table, overturning the tea.

"Good job." Dwyer smirked as Jakob rushed to clean up the mess, Corrin backing up in her chair as to avoid the spillage.

"My apologies Lady Corrin; that was out of line." Jakob quickly cleaned up the mess, taking it and the tray back to the kitchen as Corrin longingly looked at the cookies, none of which she had the pleasure of trying.  
"It's okay!" She said, watching Jakob walk away, "I guess you and your Father are still as competitive as ever," she said calmly, turning to Dwyer as she took another sip of the coffee.

"As usual. I just buttle better than he does, but he can't admit defeat. He has too much pride."

"Well he's been with me for years, I can't imagine him doing anything else," Corrin began, "Maybe he thinks that if you're better than him, he's no longer useful?"

"Useful?" Dwyer said quizzically.

"He once told me that serving me was his reason for living. If he thinks that he's failed me in any way, he becomes very hard on himself, almost punishing..." Corrin trailed off, thinking about all the times Jakob was unnecessarily fixated on what he perceived to be a failure of his buttling abilities, such as the time he overturned a table accidentally, then refused to let Corrin into the room for two days, due to his self-anger.

"Heh... well you never did answer the question, Lady Corrin." He smirked.

"Question?" She blinked.

"What was better, the tea or the coffee?"

"I'm going to say the tea this time, though your coffee was exceptional." She smiled.

"I had a feeling you would." Dwyer returned a smile to her, as he took the empty cup from her hands and returned to the small kitchen, meeting Jakob who was vigorously cleaning the tea set. The two could be heard arguing through the walls.

Corrin retreated to her chambers to change out of the training clothes, a traditional Hoshidan garb, white, with many pleats that tied at the front. It was versatile and easy to move around in, however she only wore it during the special archery training sessions, otherwise she wore more form-fitting, casual Nohrian attire. When in battle, she had a special set of armor, which while originally Nohrian, had been customized with Hoshian influences. She had changed into a short black tunic, with leggings that flared about mid-calf. The tunic had a few Nohrian emblems, though the importance came in its lightness. It was rather warm in her bedroom; the breeze that day was light, not offering much comfort.

Corrin removed her black headband, took a brush from the small vanity and combed it through her long white hair. She reflected back to earlier in the day when she missed what would have normally been an easy shot. The target was only a few feet away, placed there for her benefit, and she missed it repeatedly. It was as if the training that she had received was all for not; she was very easily distracted to the point of making simple, rookie mistakes. Mistakes she had not made in months.

Her hair fell in front of her face, lightly blown by the breeze coming from the open window. She stared for what seemed like an eternity at the brush before returning it to the vanity.

"Why did I....?" She mumbled.

"What's wrong with me? Why did I miss?" She thought to herself, "I haven't messed up that shot in ages... he must be so disappointed," thinking of her instructor, she wrapped her arms around her knees, staring at the mirror in front of her, her deep crimson eyes showing extensive worry.

It would be some time before he returned home, having changed into a robe after visiting the bathhouse. He walked in, set his training clothing in a closet and walked into the bedroom, finding Corrin in the corner of the room, reading a book on Hoshidan history.

"Oh welcome home!" She said, hastily pushing her book down and rushing to his side, "How was training?"

"Ah well, it was okay." He said with an air of surprise in his voice, "How are you though?"

"Me?"

"Yeah... you were off today. Is something bothering you?"

"No! I mean, no, nothing at all." She smiled softly at him, as he looked at her puzzled, "Are you hungry? You probably spent so long training that you forgot to eat, didn't you?"

"No I'm fine," he began, "Oboro and Hinata made rice balls."

"Rice balls? Is that enough though?"

"It's very filling... especially the way Hinata makes them." He smirked.

"Oh, well that's good then!" She shouted before catching herself and moving back slightly, his expression quickly changing to worry, "I'm sorry, I'm just tired." She reassured.

"Corrin... are you hiding something from me?"

"No. Nothing at all." She smiled that same familiar, sweet smile he had come to know and love all these years.

"If you're sure..." He walked over to Corrin, grabbed her and wrapped his arms around her back, pulling her into his embrace. His scent was familiar, welcoming, she was enveloped in it, almost mesmerized.  
"I'm sure.." She said softly, blushing slightly from his affection. She wrapped her arms around his back, laying them on his shoulders, squeezing lightly. "Takumi..." She whispered, "I love you.."  
"I love you too." He said warmly, returning her affection, moving an arm to the back of her head, petting her hair.

Takumi was the second prince of Hoshido, and a man whom spent an inordinate amount of time warming up to Corrin before she ultimately won him over through his passion, archery. She had asked him to teach her in an effort to get to know each other better, as he was very cold, unfeeling and in many ways, angry at her very presence. Eventually he fell for her, letting himself trust the very person who had uprooted their lives and threw them into a war.

It was her Mother, Queen Mikoto, who originally knew Takumi and Corrin would end up together as lovers. Raised as siblings until her kidnapping, neither knew about the circumstances of her birth until Mikoto approached Takumi shortly after she had arrived at Castle Shirasagi in the heart of the Hoshidan capital.

"Here," Mikoto said, reaching a carefully sealed letter to Takumi.

"What is it?" He asked quickly.

"Read it if you're ever worried about who you are in love with." She beamed a smile that seemed to light up the entire room.

"W-What!?" He shouted, taken aback by her sudden words. Takumi was an awkward young man, focused on getting stronger and in constant need of the acceptance he craved. It came with the territory of being in the shadow of an older brother and sister, both of whom are strong warriors and people, well respected by all of Hoshido. His younger sister, Sakura, was one of his best friends though she too, would pass him in maturity in time.

"You'll see soon, dear, everything will soon change for you." Mikoto said as she placed a hand on Takumi's cheek, "Everything will make sense soon, I promise."

The letter explained that Corrin was not the daughter of King Sumeragi, the father of Takumi and his three siblings, making them completely unrelated. Queen Mikoto had the extraordinary gift of prophecy, predicting her own death, the war between Hoshido and Nohr, Corrin's decision, and ultimately, the man she would eventually fall deeply in love with. With Corrin, he was happy, thrilled, at peace with her. He constantly wanted her love and affection and she was all too happy to give it.

Later that evening, Corrin and Takumi were joined by two young men, both of which favored Takumi's features, though the older had Corrin's snow-like hair. Takumi and the older boy were playing chess, though a Nohrian game, they had learned from Corrin. It was strikingly similar to Shogi, a strategy game typically played in Hoshido. Corrin and the younger boy were watching on as the pair played.  
"Aha! I've got you now!" The older boy exclaimed as he stole the pawn of his Father.

"Just a pawn? Hah! I'll be surprised when you take something more valuable." Takumi smirked.

"Oh come on! That was a good move!" The boy said as he moved another pawn.

"You'll never win if you keep sacrificing the pawns, Kiragi," Takumi began, "You need to bring out some heavy hitters if you plan on winning." Takumi swiftly used the Knight piece to take his pawn.  
"But don't I need them for later? I need to protect my King, right?" Kiragi asked, perplexed.

"Technically yes, that is the goal of the game," Takumi said, lifting the Queen chess piece, "However this is a matter of strategy. If you let your pawns take the fall, you won't have anything left for defense." Takumi was stern as he knocked out another one of Kiragi's pawns, leaving his defenses open to a vicious attack. Takumi still had most of his pawns, save for the two Kiragi managed to defeat.

"So I need to use the Queen? But isn't she the strongest?"

"She is. The Queen has absolute power in this game." Takumi nodded, glancing at Corrin.

"Hm... okay then!" Kiragi quickly lifted the Bishop and took out Takumi's Queen piece. Takumi sat in silence has his best piece had been defeated. "Wait, Dad, did you let me do that?" Kiragi looked confused.

"I did."

"Why?"

"It's just as important to learn why the Queen can't run ahead on her own as well as why the pawns can't be sacrificed."

"So it's a lesson then..." Kiragi trailed off, watching as his Father's expression remained firm. "Are you going to go?"

Takumi moved a pawn forward one space before looking at Kiragi, "Your move."

"B-but! That's... Dad!" Kiragi's cheeks puffed out, upset that Takumi had used the same move against him that he had foolishly done earlier.

"Kiragi you need to learn how to handle it from his side too. If a King is willing to sacrifice his pawns first, you need to be ready to deal with that. You have his Queen, what now?" Corrin said to Kiragi, he turning to her, blinking with surprise. Takumi flashed a quick smile at his wife. Corrin thought this set up was eerily similar to the battles between Nohr and Hoshido - Hoshido losing their Queen to Nohr, Nohr willing to sacrifice any number of pawns to best their enemies and protect their King. Takumi was inadvertently teaching their eldest son the recent history of the war.

"Okay... how about this...?" Kiragi moved his bishop beside one of his own pawns, effectively blocking Takumi's recent advance.

Takumi took out the bishop with a rook.

"DAD!" Kiragi shouted.

"Think Kiragi. Don't move hastily because you think it might work. Plan your moves."

"Kiragi," The younger son spoke up, "You should use the knights! The knights are always good, right?" He beamed while looking at Corrin. She pat his head.

Kiragi moved a knight adjacent to the rook, knowing the rook couldn't take the knight due to the rules of the game.

"I think that works Kana." Kiragi smiled.

Takumi took out the knight with his own bishop.

"WHAT?" Kiragi slammed his palms down on the small table before them, moving some pieces out of place.

"Kiragi, even if the Queen falls, the people behind her will rise up to defend the throne. They will avenge her."

"I... I give up, I can't win with so few pieces left." Kiragi had consented defeat as he stared at his pieces. All that remained were a single rook, the King, the Queen, a bishop, a knight and a single pawn. Takumi had effectively decimated his son at the strategy game.

"You still have a lot to learn about strategy, Kiragi. I'll have to start teaching you more." Takumi rose from the table, "Come on Kana, it's late, time for bed." He held out his hand to the young Prince, "Okay Papa!" Kana jumped up and Takumi took him down a hallway to his bedroom.

"I'm no good at this game..." Kiragi whispered as he placed the pieces back into the box, his pride shattered.

"It's not a matter of being good at the game Kiragi, it's about being good at strategy in general. You just need to study harder, that's all." Corrin smiled at her son as he put the box away in a bookshelf, rising to her feet. "You should go to bed soon too, okay? It's late." She walked over to Kiragi and pat his head, looking at her eldest son lovingly.

"I will, Mom," he said, giving her a soft smile as he walked past her down the hallway to the bedrooms. Corrin returned to her own bedroom to prepare for the night. Takumi joined her shortly after, entering the room just as she was changing, her back to him.

"Ah sorry... should I leave?" He asked quickly.

"Hm? Why? You are my husband." She asked as she quickly changed into her night attire, a gown that hit her below the knees, made of a soft, silky fabric. She turned to Takumi as she freed her hair from her gown, as he changed into his nightly robes. Corrin walked over to him as he finished, pulling the tie from his long hair, letting it flow. She then pulled the second tie, fully releasing his hair from its bounded prison. Its deep silver color shone within the lamplight.

"Corrin?" He looked at her puzzled, though he knew she loved his hair down. It was a hassle for him to leave it down, being as long as it was and considering that he was an archer. Typically it was only down to sleep, or for special occasions. Long hair on men was an honor symbol in Hoshido, though he and his elder brother Ryoma mostly wore it that way in remembrance of their Father. Ryoma's hair more closely resembled his with its coarse texture however, as Takumi's was more straight and considerably softer.

Corrin only looked at him longingly, she deeply loved her husband and was proud of the man he had become, proud of the devoted Father to her children that stood before her. Takumi's eyes softened as he lifted Corrin up, grabbing her from underneath her knees and cradling her in his arms. Corrin quickly wrapped her arms around his neck. He gingerly placed her on their bed, her legs slightly bent as he climbed on top of her, hovering over her with his hands propped on the bed near her head, strands of his hair sliding down, covering them.

She blushed as she looked into his eyes, taking her hand and placing it on his cheek, he moving his head to kiss her palms. She moved her hands to his neck, pulling him down into a kiss, surprising him. She was being more forward with him than she normally was - a fond memory of theirs was their wedding night, in which they had never had any sort of intimacy before, and elected to play a game of shogi to determine who would initiate. Corrin ultimately lost despite Takumi's best efforts to let her win.

She released him, he returned to his original position, though there was a difference. Corrin's expression changed gradually to one of shock as she saw a black aura emanate from Takumi’s body. It quickly enveloped the entire room as Corrin looked on in horror.

"T-Takumi..." She quivered, "What's... what's wrong?"

"Corrin? Are you okay? What's with that look?" He looked at her puzzled, rising off of her, sitting on his knees on the bed. She followed suit, her eyes never leaving him though the aura continued to spread. It was like a violent miasma, choking and malefic in nature.

"Are you… are you okay!?” She lunged at him reaching around his head, the aura having no tactile sensation. It slowly dissipated as she touched it; Takumi’s expression was one of deep concern as he took Corrin’s hand in his.

"Corrin…." He said as he carefully studied her gaze, she seemed preoccupied, distracted.

"I'm sorry I... I thought I saw... it's nothing. I'm sorry, I'm just really tired." She quickly composed herself, giving him a quick, soft smile, her eyes still filled with worry. She leaned in and kissed him passionately, with such surprise that it knocked him back, he quickly leveraging himself with his hand, the other finding its home on her cheek, ruffling through her hair.

"We should go to sleep..." She whispered. It had been an exhausting day to the point she could no longer deny that something was amiss; she was dwelling on things she normally wouldn't, and the dark thoughts were in no hurry to leave her. To make matters worse, she was starting to see her husband differently. Though the aura disappeared, it still left her concerned. He didn’t seem to notice it at all; his actions were no different than normal nor were his words or mannerisms. He was still the same Takumi she always knew and she found a quiet reassurance in that. They both climbed into the bed, she was cradled in his arms as she fell asleep to his scent.

Corrin had terrible nightmares throughout the night, no doubt fuelled by the events earlier in the day. She kept hearing voices, seeing horrific visions, and kept finding herself in a different set of armor, in a different setting that was considerably darker. The streets were always empty, and she was almost always alone.

"C-m- h--- litt-- pr----ss..." A stern voice said, "W- ca- b- a ---ily a-ga-n." She couldn't make out everything the voice was saying, let alone the tall, statuesque figure saying it. Beside the figure were three similar ones, though she noted one was much shorter than the others.

"She's my sister!" A young girl shouted, ".... Elise..?" Corrin thought, discerning that the sound was all too familiar to the little sister she loved dearly but hadn't seen in quite some time. Suddenly the visions changed and all she heard was an arrow flying past her head. She turned to see a figure consumed by the same aura she had seen around her husband only hours earlier.

"Bet----...."

"Betra--..."

"N-No....." She murmured as her eyes widened, tears swelling up.

"I am betrayal!" The figure shot another arrow, this time hitting her. Corrin screamed as she rose from the bed struggling to catch her breath. The figure was Takumi, the man she loved so dearly, and he had shot her with his bow. Although she knew he would never actually attempt to hurt her, the sheer thought of it, sent such a shock through her system that she was visibly shaking.

She composed herself long enough to notice she was no longer in her regular bed; the sheets were much darker and felt like a silkier material. The blanket was much heavier, and to her right lay a slender figure, seemingly undisturbed by her movement.

"....L-Leo? No... no..............Gods.." She covered her mouth, "What’s going on… ?" She asked herself. Upon looking around the room, she noticed many things were different, though the overall layout was the same. Her vanity was still there, the same brush she had used earlier still in its place. The wardrobe was considerably larger, and there was a myriad of items on the wall, all Nohrian. The regular Hoshidan touches, such as the emblems sewn into the sheets, were also missing, having been replaced by Nohrian ones.

"Corrin? Why are you awake at this hour?" Leo asked, peering at her with one eye open, her silhouette being complemented by the moonlight peering in through their window.  
"Leo..." she bowed her head, "I just.. had a nightmare, that's all."

"A nightmare?" He rose, perching his arms on his raised legs, "Tell me."

"No it's okay, I'm okay... I just need to get back to sleep, that's all." She rushed through her words in a vain attempt to lay back down, Leo grabbing her wrist. "Don't lie to me." He said determinedly.  
"I'm not!" Corrin said hastily, turning to him, meeting the piercing gaze of his deep brown eyes.

"Corrin.... please. If there's something wrong you can tell me. I am your husband, after all."

"We're married?" Corrin thought to herself. Why was she suddenly in a Nohrian influenced room, with a husband whom she once regarded as a little brother? Corrin was kidnapped by King Garon, Leo's Father, as a child and they were raised as siblings, though clearly, as evidenced by the fact that they were sharing a bed, they had become much more than that.

"It's just a silly dream is all, nothing to worry about." She forced a smile to Leo who delicately lifted her hand to his lips, giving it a kiss. He held her hand for what seemed like an eternity as she continued to look around the room, noticing all the subtle differences between this one and her previous home. Leo moved closer to her as she was distracted, carefully grabbing her face. She gasped slightly as he turned her to face him, his hand moving down to her chin. He lifted her chin with his fingers, and kissed her lightly, his eyes never leaving hers. She instantly blushed, as his kiss was warming, familiar; it caused her heart to race. She noticed his scent, it was subtly sweet, similar to Takumi’s though his was muskier.

"Leo..." She said as he closed his eyes and leaned in for a deeper kiss, his free arm reaching around her and pulling her in closer. She hesitated before returning his kiss with as much tenderness as he had given her. "What is this feeling..." she kept asking herself, the image of Takumi the same night was still fresh in her mind.

"Wait..." She caught herself, clutching the blanket and lightly pushing Leo away, "Something wrong?" He asked, looking at her affectionately.

"No, it's just late... we should go back to bed, don't you think?" She grinned softly; her heart hadn't slowed since he kissed her. In fact, it only beat harder; being with him gave her warmth deep inside that was exciting. It reminded her of Takumi. He and Leo were very similar in how they carried themselves. "I'm fine now, really, thank you, Leo." Corrin ran her hand through Leo's hair, noticing how soft it was. His hair was finer when compared to Takumi's, though silkier. She whimpered in her sleep, still seeing the dark image of Takumi, shooting arrows at her, shouting precepts of betrayal and loneliness at her. Soon, the dark aura that had surrounded the room enveloped her, and she woke up silently, and alone, still in the same Nohrian influenced room.


	2. Quixotic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Corrin found herself in a Nohrian influenced Astral Plane (Echo), soon discovering that she had a completely different life with a completely different family. After learning she was thrust into a war with Hoshido in order to satisfy her adoptive tyrant of a Father, Garon, she begins to lose herself, only a few short days before a crucial and decisive battle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *** Conquest Spoilers! ***  
> So yeah I said "Oh hey I'm gonna make this next chapter shorter!" and I totally didn't. My bad. I had so many ideas I wanted to throw out in this chapter because of what it ultimately leads to. Next chapter is a wee bit more lighthearted at first. 
> 
> Yeah I'm kinda getting tired of tea. Corrin drinks a ridiculous amount of tea. 
> 
> If you have any suggestions or comments please let me know. I'm always open to improvement!
> 
> I reference Echo a lot in this, it's the name I gave my castle/army/encampment area. If you find a castle named Echo on wifi, it's probably me! 
> 
> Thank you for reading :D

Corrin awoke to a cloudy sky, offering little visibility in her already dark room. She sat in the same position on the bed for several minutes, questioning herself as to whether or not she had just dreamed her encounter with Leo, or the aura she saw engulfing Takumi the night before. She felt uneasy, especially looking around the room and noticing a complete absence of the décor she had become so accustomed to.

The differences between her new Nohrian arrangements and her Hoshidan ones were more a matter of culture; the wardrobe was significantly larger in Nohr, the colors of the furniture were much darker. Texts and tomes littered the room; many stacked upon one another and were some opened, in a myriad of sizes. The color of the rug was different and its texture was much plusher. Her nightly clothing had changed style and color.

Outside the large wooden door Corrin could hear the footsteps and light mumbling of many persons. She moved to the window and opened it, gazing down below. The small encampment of Echo had changed. Trees were smaller in number and few had leaves. The buildings were fashioned in typical Nohrian style, with high arches and small windows. Cobblestones lay as far as the eye could see. The streets had few people she recognized, all clad in various types of armor. This version of Echo reminded Corrin considerably of her time spent in the North Tower during her imprisonment in Nohr all those years ago.

In the wardrobe was a selection of armor, one set closely matched her adoptive siblings with its dark embellishments. She dressed herself rather quickly, before opening the door, discovering that layout of her home was generally unchanged. She walked down the long hallway to what was considered Kiragi’s room, placed her hand on the doorknob, took a deep breath and opened the door. Her expression stoic as the room was covered with various crates, weaponry and more books. Kiragi’s room was always a mess; covered in various knives, bows and arrow carving materials. He never was a very tidy child as he always made hunting a priority.

Corrin sighed as she closed the door; her eldest sons’ room was being used for storage. She made her way down the hall further to what should be Kana’s room, though she found a storeroom that seemed to house a small kitchen in its place. In the storeroom were many vegetables and meats she hadn’t seen in months; Hoshidan cooking was vastly different than Nohrian.

“Lady Corrin, are you okay? It’s almost time for breakfast!” The young maid was bubbly, with long champagne pink hair. She seemed devoted to Corrin, though Corrin was ultimately distracted by all the new surroundings. She walked over to a large bin that housed several sizes and colors of tomatoes. Tomatoes were more of a luxury in Hoshido, though often plentiful in certain regions of Nohr.

“Lady Corrin..? Did you want something with tomatoes for breakfast?” She asked again, tilting her head.

“Milady, Lord Kana and Lord Forrest are waiting for you in the dining hall.” A second maid walked from the stove to where Corrin was standing as she quickly turned around.

“K-Kana!?” Corrin gasped, the two maids jumped, perplexed at Corrin’s sudden outburst.

“Y-yes… Lord Kana. Don’t you two always eat breakfast together?”

“Oh..” Corrin composed herself, “Yes, we do. I’m sorry.”

“Are you feeling alright Milady?” The voice was calm and collected, as it belonged to Flora, the twin sister to her other maid, Felicia. Both were daughters of the Ice Tribe’s chieftain, and they were sent to live and work at Castle Krakenburg as children. Nohr had commanding rule over the Ice Tribe due to it being within its borders, though the tribesmen often plotted rebellion and retaliation. Flora and Felicia were assigned to the North Tower shortly after Corrin’s arrival in Nohr, and as such grew incredibly attached to her, having watched her grow from a young age. Felicia and Jakob had defied Nohr and followed her to Hoshido, though she hadn’t seen Flora in quite some time.

“I’m fine, just a little groggy I think.” Corrin smiled, hiding her excitement that Kana was present in whatever kind of odd dream she was having, and that she’d soon he reunited with him.

“We can help with that.” Flora nodded at Felicia as they tapped Corrin’s arm, sending a freezing chill down her spine.

“Ahh! I’m awake! Okay okay..” Corrin stammered out of the storeroom and back down the hallway where she walked into the great room. It too, was different than the Hoshidan counterpart as it had a much larger table in the center of the room. Seated beside Leo was Kana, albeit with blonde hair, slightly darker than Leo’s. On the opposite side were an empty seat and a young man with long white hair, styled into multiple ringlets and topped with a light pink beret.

"Good morning Mother," he smiled, "Hi Mama!" Kana waved excitedly.

"Good morning." Corrin answered as she took the seat across from Leo. Kana seemed to be the exact same as he always was; the same cheerful, playful little guy who enjoyed being a dragon, a feature he inherited from Corrin.

"What will you two do today?" Leo asked.

“Forrest is supposed to be making me a dragon outfit!” Kana puffed his cheeks out as he stared at Forrest. He was taken aback by the sudden attack.

“Well Kana.. you see… making dragon scales is a difficult undertaking, even for me.” Forrest argued, “Besides I was hoping that Mother could finish being my model for the gown I’m tailoring.” He turned to Corrin, his light gray eyes were enchanting. He was an all around lovely young man, his features closely resembling his Fathers, who always had a bit of a complex over his less-rugged appearance when compared to his elder Brother. Granted there was a rather large age difference between the two, and Leo always valued his appearance and loathed being unkempt.

“Sure. Can Kana help?” Corrin asked.

“Can we make it a dragon dress!?” Kana exclaimed.

“Kana, why don’t you come with me today?” Leo began, “I’ve been meaning to test your magical prowess, should any exist.”

“Magical prowniss…” Kana grimaced, “Does that mean I have to read all the books you do, Papa?”

“Heh, only if you want to.” Leo smirked as he patted Kana’s head. Flora served the four breakfasts; it was a rather impressive spread of Nohrian delights. Felicia attempted in vain to serve coffee but managed to spill most of it on herself in the process, this being a frequent occurrence, even in Hoshido. Felicia never was considered a capable maid though something could be said for her perseverance.

Later in the day, Corrin was standing still as Forrest repeatedly pinned various layers of fabric to her, each more exquisite than the last. He was a masterful craftsman, and Corrin couldn't help but notice what a stark contrast he was to Kiragi, her little hunter who had followed so dutifully in his Father's footsteps. Forrest was similar to Leo in the respect that they were both careful in their movements and actions. Leo was always concerned about how he presented himself, as evidenced by how easily embarrassed he was when he mistakenly wears his collar inside out.

"Forrest, can I ask you something?"

"Of course Mother, what is it?" He took a break from pinning fabric to look up at her.

"Do you know a boy named Kiragi?"

"Kir...agi?" He was puzzled, "No, I can't say I do. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, no reason, just curious." She made up an excuse as he shrugged and went back to pinning, before sewing on various appliqués and lace. She began to choke when she thought of the family she had suddenly lost, not that her new one wasn't perfectly lovely. She composed herself for Forrest, after all, she assumed this was the only life he actually knew, and she was the only mother he had. He clearly adored her, as evidenced by how differently he acts towards her and towards Leo. Kana seemed to love them both equally and had no memory of Kiragi, or Takumi. Kana was just being Kana. If anything, his familiarity was a comfort.

This version of Echo seemed to be peaceful enough; its people acted similar to those in Hoshido save for cultural differences. The smiles, the laughs, the relationships, the love was the same. Wyverns thrived in place of pegasi, and the stables were packed with armored horses. After assisting Forrest, Corrin explored Echo; she felt the grass beneath her feet, it was far more brittle than the grass in Hoshido’s version of the encampment.

Leo and Kana had returned from their training session, clearly it was an uneventful experience as Kana sulked and his posture worsened as he walked toward the stables.

“What happened?” Corrin asked, concerned.

“He has little magical ability. Forrest is better suited for it, but he prefers healing magic rather than offensive.” Leo sighed.

“Is that… wrong?”

“Well no, I would like to pass Brynhildr down to one of my sons.”

“Oh so that’s why… “ Corrin trailed off as she watched Kana cheer up upon seeing some other children in the encampment. Her face bore a soft smile in reaction to seeing him enliven.

“I think I’ll go do some studying unless there is something you else you would like to do,” Leo moved his slender fingers underneath Corrin’s chin, lifting it slightly, startling her out of her distraction to meet his wistful gaze.

“L-leo...” She quivered through her words, surprised.

"Are you alright? You seem unnaturally quiet lately." He removed his hand from her, putting it behind his back. Leo always spoke frankly with little need for trivialities.

"I'm fine." She smiled unconvincingly.

"Don't lie to me, please."

"I'm not. Really, I didn't sleep very well is all, but I'll be okay."

"Should I ask Flora to bring you some herbal tea to help you relax? You can sleep while I read."

"Does that work?"

"It always helped me. I think you should at least try it." He smiled and took her hand as they went back to their home. Corrin returned to their room where she slipped out of her armor and into more comfortable clothing. Leo entered as she had completed changing, in a scenario not unlike the one she had with Takumi. He grabbed three books from the many piles strewn about the room and climbed into the bed, sitting up and flipping pages. Flora knocked and entered the room shortly after.

"Here you are Milady, I hope you have a good rest." Flora handed the small cup to Corrin and exited the room, closing the door behind her. Corrin quickly drank the tea and sat the empty teacup on her vanity before climbing into the bed and laying on her side, covering herself with the warm blanket.

"Corrin."

"Hm?"

"Come here." He laid back in the bed, propped up by the pillows, placing the books on his bent legs, motioning for her to move beside him. She blushed as she moved over from her side and lay her head on his chest. He wrapped his free arm around her and began stroking her hair, holding the book with his other hand. It wasn't long before they both fell asleep tangled in a loving embrace. Corrin confused at her situation; Leo and Takumi were very similar in how they acted, and especially how they were with her, though Leo was more forceful - he knew what he wanted - whereas Takumi was much more tender, and overall loving. Leo was passionate and intense, Takumi was cautious and sweet. She had many dreams of her time together with Takumi, from their first meal together, their confession to each other, their first kiss, and a myriad of other memories. It was as if she was reliving her life in Hoshido in her dreams. She dreamed shortly of Leo; a quick dream in which he has his back to her, refusing to meet her gaze.

"There's something I want very badly, but I don't know how to go about obtaining it. This has never happened. I've never had a problem I couldn't think my way out of." His words were so clear, though lacking context. 

The following morning she awoke in the same Nohrian bed that she had the previous day, nothing had changed save for the fact she woke up later than usual. Her butler, Jakob, brought her tea, laid out her clothing and opened the window. Leo was always up early; he was gone long before she awoke.

"You're going to be late, Milady." He said, pouring her a cup of tea. Corrin got out of bed and moved to a small table where she took the tea, sipping it. It had several floral notes, and was quite sour, though she didn't dislike it.

"Late for what?" She looked at Jakob quite bewildered, her outfit for the day was her regular armor, the same she had worn for most of the day prior.

"The war meeting. The army is moving further on Hoshido territory soon, they're planning the strategy for the attack." He said casually.

"Further...?"

"We're stationed near the Great Wall of Suzanoh, Castle Shirasagi is nearby."

Corrin gasped, nearly spilling the tea. She shook slightly as she set the teacup on the table. Jakob looked on with worry.

"Lady Corrin, are you alright?" Jakob was her loyal butler since they were very young, and in many ways, her very best friend. Though they had both moved on with different spouses, she cared for him deeply, more than a servant or a retainer. He treated her differently compared to all others, even his own wife in Hoshido, whom he did grow to love. Jakob belonged to Corrin above all else.

"I'm fine, honestly, though... would you be willing to brief me on the war thus far?"

"Milady... I don't mind but you were there, wouldn't you know what happened?"

"I just want to be sure I can be beneficial to the war meeting. Making sure I didn't leave out any detail!" She laughed off his suspicious, though she knew he was being overly cautious around her. Jakob submitted to her request, telling her of their invasion of Hoshido, their decimation of various clans, the capture of Princess Sakura, and uprising in Cheve, King Garon's order to kill all songstresses due to the events in Cyrkensia, as well as a variety of other things. Corrin was wide eyed the entire time, shocked, amazed. The more she heard, the more closed off she became. The war she was so far invested in was a massacre led by her forced Father, King Garon. It was a war she knew nothing about and was now fighting on the wrong side.

Dressed and reserved, Corrin entered the war meeting, electing to sit next to Leo, who flashed her a quick smile. Xander, Crown Prince of Nohr and Corrin's adoptive brother, was leading the meeting. In front of them was a map of the Great Wall of Suzanoh, all of its strategic points, and several wooden pieces meant to represent various factions. The Nohrian factions had black pieces, whereas the Hoshidan had white. It was similar to a chess board in design.

"The Great Wall has never been breached by any sort of outside conflict, until today. We captured the Princess Sakura at Fort Jinya, along with her retainers. They're currently resting comfortably at our prisons," Xander spoke with such a commanding tone, it was difficult not to be mesmerized by how he handled himself.

"Their capture will allow us to use them as a bargaining chip against the enemies at the Great Wall. There is a small barracks located to the East of the entrance, I suggest we seize that, then destroy it to prevent further reinforcements. There are a variety of ballistae stationed on the wall as well, so I strongly advise against using pegasi or wyverns." Corrin hinged on his every word; Xander was an excellent commander, though he had an air of sadness about him. Xander never did enjoy war, or killing for that matter, though as a Prince of Nohr, it was expected of him. King Garon took particular joy in expanding Nohr's territory and never hesitated to kill any who stood in his way. His own children were not exempt from his rage and questionable methods.

"Once we get through the wall, we will be in the city that surrounds Castle Shirasagi," He hesitated, "I strongly suggest we take as many encampments as we can."

"Wait... Xander you don't mean..." Corrin whispered under her breath.

"Many of you will most likely be faced with killing civilians. I can't guarantee we can save them all, but given the battle that's to come---"

"NO!" Corrin stood, slamming her palms on the table, many of the pieces on the board jumping from the force.

"That's not acceptable Brother and you know it! We cannot kill innocent civilians just for the sake of it! These are Hoshidans!" She shouted with such passion, not realizing that she had ousted herself as a sympathizer. Her love for the Hoshidan people and its culture shone through, as she stared at Xander with intense fervor.

"Why does that matter, Corrin?" Leo said as he rose from his seat, "Hoshido is our enemy. We must do what we have to in order to protect Nohr. " His expression was stoic, he reminded her of Takumi during their training sessions. That same expression that never wavered.

"I agree with Leo," Xander said willfully, "As royalty, we have an obligation to our King and our throne. We are here for a reason, Corrin... even if that reason costs a significant number of casualties."

Corrin's jaw slowly dropped, the fear and concern showing in her bright crimson eyes; she would be forced to slaughter her own people for the sake of a tyrant. The look on her face was that of worry, of loathing.

"Corrin... maybe you should leave," Xander began, "As valuable as you are to this army, you are in no shape to be in this meeting."

"I-I'm fine, really..." She caught herself, a thousand different thoughts raced through her head, her cheeks flushed. She was escorted out of the meeting by Jakob; Xander immediately resumed as she was pushed out the door.

"Milady, I am truly worried about you. Never have you ever spoken out of turn like that."

"I'm sorry..."

"Please, don't apologize, just tell me what's bothering you." Jakob said with great concern.

"I keep having nightmares... I've been in one huge nightmare for days now..." Corrin whispered before catching herself, "It's nothing Jakob, honestly. I was just overwhelmed with how well Xander spoke in there." She turned to Jakob flashing an incredibly insincere smile.

"....... Milady." He bowed, "I'll prepare some tea, why don't you go rest for awhile?"

"Tea? Again?" She stammered, "Oh uhm... tea sounds lovely."

She had becoming increasingly disgruntled with the situation at hand. Not only was she in a pseudo-foreign world, but she was thrust into a war with the very people she had gotten to know so well the last few years. Sure, Hoshido also had its conflicts with Nohr, though they were not nearly as violent as they were expected to be. Many of her Nohr family left her be, or attempted to coax her back to them in vain. She was furious and anxious; she loathed Garon for forcing Nohr into such an impossible situation. To make matters worse, Nohr had kidnapped Sakura and was holding her hostage in order to advance.

Corrin laid on her bed, staring at the ceiling, still in the confining armor that had been given to her earlier that day. "Takumi..." She whispered, "will I ever get to see you again...?" The sheets smelled exactly like Leo; they were comfortable, soft, welcoming. She jolted suddenly when there was a knock at her door.

"Milady, I'm here with the tea. May I come in?"

"Yes, please enter." Corrin rose, sitting on the side of the bed.

"Here you are," Jakob said casually, setting the tray down on the table, "You know.... if you didn't want tea, you only have to tell me. Please don't force yourself to do something for my benefit."

"It's not for your benefit," She hastily said, " _Damn... calm down... what are you saying_?"

"I-I... mean, I'm sorry. I'm just very tired. I haven't been sleeping well lately Jakob. It's not you, I'm just... grouchy." She said as she placed her palm over her face, making a grimace.

"Think nothing of it Milady," he began, "Prince Xander wants to speak to you after the meeting has concluded. I'll come for you then, please call me if you need me." Jakob left the room, closing the door behind him.

Corrin walked over to the table and poured a small cup of tea. "Well since he went through the trouble... it wouldn't hurt to see what flavor it is this time..." She took a small sip, gaining a multitude of apples and cinnamon. It was a warm, comforting drink. "It's really good, actually... " She finished a cup before moving to the various books scattered about the room. Many of them were books on strategy, some were advanced magical techniques and others were depictions of history and mathematics. Corrin laughed to herself as these would most likely be books Takumi would be interested in, save for the magical tomes.

Several minutes passed before Jakob returned to fetch Corrin from her chambers, hurrying her back to the council room, Xander its lone occupant.

"Corrin, why did you speak out of turn? You know we have to follow Father's orders. You're lucky he wasn't here, you could have gotten yourself killed, little princess." Xander was stern in his words as he stared down at the young lady he visited and trained for so many years during her confinement.

"Father's orders? He ordered us to murder innocent civilians?"

"You didn't object in Cheve, why is now different?"

_"Cheve...? Jakob mentioned a massacre in Cheve but I didn't object to the murder of innocents?_ "... Corrin's mind was a torrent of thoughts and emotions. The Nohrian invasion had gone so differently than the Hoshidan. Hoshido helped quell the uprising in Cheve by assisting in their liberation, and gaining them as trustworthy allies. Corrin then remembered that Scarlet was absent from this particular encampment. " _The uprising... Scarlet must have_......." She couldn't fathom what happened to Scarlet, nor was she in a position to ask. Jakob was already suspicious of her, and he was hinging on her every word.

"These are... people. They have lives, families, homes! They didn't want to get caught up in this I'm sure... isn't there another way to save them? To prevent another Cheve!" Corrin was passionate in her words, cracking beneath the weight of the knowledge she had.

"Corrin... I sympathize, I really do," Xander began, "But this is a direct order from Father. We can't disobey that..." He sighed, "Little princess, I beg you not to worry. I promise, we will take care of it." Xander patted her head, just as he had multiple time during her stay in the Northern Tower. Xander was always difficult on her, but he loved her dearly. She was incredibly special to him as his younger sibling.

"How?" She quickly asked.

"We have methods of keeping Father happy while also disobeying him. Please, don't worry. You need to prepare for the battle. We move out in a few days." Xander gave Corrin a small smile as he left the building, Corrin watching him anxiously as he walked out the door. She had no choice but to trust his words. She had only been in this version of Echo a few short days, but already she had learned so much, many of it she wished she hadn't.


	3. Lapsed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Corrin entertains an evening with Leo in a nearby town, effectively taking her mind off of the war and all its implications. It is all for not, however, as terrifying visions and nightmares beckon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *** Conquest Spoilers! ***  
> I sort of feel like this chapter is a bit too "short," but I tried to interject some humor to counteract the copious amounts of angst from chapter 1 and 2. It kind of went all the hell when I got to the end of chapter 3 and went straight sadness and angst again... I swear I'm not capable of writing anything else :I One day I will write a lighthearted fic, but Parallel is not it huhu. 
> 
> Anywho thanks for reading, any suggestions or improvements let me know, I'm open to anything! 
> 
> *Again Echo is my astral plane/encampment.

Corrin observed the map of the Great Wall in front of her, observing its many hills and markers. She was no strategist, in fact she was more known for her special brand of determination and perseverance, and as such determining their entry point and where possible enemies would be was a difficult task. Xander’s skill in strategy and combat certainly surpassed hers. Corrin retrieved a small box with black and white pieces, setting them in random points on the map. She did not know who the commander at the Wall would be, or the types of enemies, only assuming they would be a few archers due to the usage of ballistae. Regardless, proceeding through the Wall meant that Garon’s axe would have access to Hoshido’s innocents. Pressing further on meant he had access to the heart of Hoshido itself.

Leo entered the room and walked over to Corrin as she finished setting up the pieces. Her layout was reckless; both flanks of Echo’s army could easily be swarmed and she had positioned an entire battalion of wyverns in the direct path of a ballista.

“Corrin, this is a disastrous setup.” He mocked, “Didn’t you learn anything under my tutelage?”

“Tutelage?” Corrin thought to herself as Leo moved a few of the pieces around, giving Nohr more of an advantage. He immediately moved the wyvern units to the side, while Xander’s unit would lead the charge. Corrin’s unit was placed to left of Xander’s.

“If you put your pieces here, you’ll minimize casualties with the ballistae, while still keeping your defenses up,” He began, “Unless… you would rather Hoshido have the advantage.”

Did she want Hoshido to have the advantage over Nohr? His words made sense to her; she despised where she stood and the tactical map before her.

“Leo… about that..” She mumbled, moving Xander’s unit back towards the rear, “I’m sorry.” Her apology was cold and unfeeling.

“Corrin…” Leo placed his hand on hers, grasping it lightly. “Why don’t we do something together?”

“Together?”

“Yes. How about a date? You seem like you need some cheering up.” He gently lifted her hand off the map and gave her slender fingers a soft kiss.

“A date…?” She trailed off.

“Yes, I hear that married people frequently go on them.” He smirked.

“I don’t suppose I have anything else to do….”

“Good. We haven’t been spending enough time together lately you know.”

“Leo, are you… whining?” She perked up, intrigued because his tone very closely resembled Takumi’s whenever he would whimper at her for being too busy.

“I-I don’t whine.” He was flushed as he let go of her hand and crossed his arms.

“You are! That’s adorable…” Corrin smiled, he reminded her of the young boy she grew up with. She was older than Leo by a few years, and the two were very close. Leo grew more distant as they aged, realizing he was in a competition with his elder siblings for their affection, attention, and recognition. At least, the Leo she remembered was; it was entirely possible that this Leo did not share the same memories or persona.

“I am not!” He grimaced, “I would just enjoy spending more time with my wife, is that such a problem?”

“Hehe, I'm only teasing." She hid her laughter under her breath.

"That's the smile I love." He leaned in and kissed her quickly, before walking toward the door. Corrin stood silently, stunned.

"Are you coming?"

"Y-yes..."

It was early evening as they walked through the small town outside the encampment. Stalls littered the streets, filled with vendors selling a myriad of items and various types of food. The town was quite lively, especially at night, as it often held festivals. The inhabitants of Echo's encampment visited it often. The shops held armaments, weaponry, staves and hobby materials. Many fine restaurants and pubs were in the area, all specializing in Nohrian cooking.

"Is there anything you'd like to see, Corrin?" He asked.

"It's all so much, I'm a little overwhelmed." She said, watching the sea of patrons as they moved from stall to stall.

"Overwhelmed? You've been here hundreds of times."

"O-oh I mean.. I guess I'm just tired... from.. earlier." Corrin wondered how many times she had made that excuse in the last two days. Technically she wasn't lying, but sleep would not cure this type of mental exhaustion.

"I imagine so. Hm, why don't we visit some of the stalls?"

"Are you looking for more tomes?" She asked quizzically.

"W-Why would you insinuate that?"

"Because the house is covered with them..."

".... If we happen upon one I wouldn't pass up the opportunity to browse."

"Hehe... that's cute too, you know." She giggled as his cheeks flushed, he refusing to meet her gaze due to embarrassment.

The pair browsed several stalls, trying many of the food items available. Corrin remembered the cooking fondly, though nothing could compare to the delicious meal that Flora prepared. Leo browsed a few tomes, purchasing none. It was as if a great calm had come over her; she felt very comfortable with Leo, briefly forgetting the events of the day and the new realities she faced. The people of the town didn't seem to mind being in the middle of a war; the events never being mentioned, or the spirits somber.

Night fell quickly as the two had lost track of time amid all the excitement. The sky that night was incredibly clear, each star illuminating in such a way that it banished the darkness. It was comfortably cool, making the short trek back to Echo somewhat pleasant.

"I hope Kana went to sleep on time." Leo stated as they walked side by side, "We should have come home sooner."

"Yes," Corrin nodded, "Still.. I enjoyed myself back there, thank you, Leo."

"Think nothing of it, Corrin." He smiled, "I'm just glad to see you in better spirits." Leo reached over to Corrin, grasping her hand and holding it lightly as they walked. Corrin couldn't help but blush at his affection.

"Let's plan to do this again."

Back at Echo, they made their way home, Leo entering their bedroom first as Corrin lagged behind, ultimately catching Forrest as he was walking down the hallway outside their room, just missing Leo. He was dressed in a long gown adorned with ruffles, his hair loose from the barrette he wore that morning.

"Forrest? Why are you up so late?" Corrin asked.

"Oh! Mother! I was worried about you and Father, you were out very late this time." He smiled as Corrin walked over to him.

"This time?"

"Kana was worried. He kept asking if you were coming back at all. I have to admit I wondered that myself..."

"Forrest..." Her expression became sullen, as she looked upon Forrest, who was staring at the floor.

"Come with me, Mother." Forrest grabbed her hand leading her into his room. It was a grand room coated with pink fabric, lace and had an abundance of ruffles sewn into random pieces of furniture. There were several dress forms in the room, most coated with fabric from projects Forrest had yet to finish. In the corner was a table containing various sewing supplies.

He led her to his vanity where he picked up a soft brush, handing it to Corrin before sitting on his knees with his back to her. Corrin stood there, brush in hand, dumbfounded. Forrest looked over his shoulder, giving Corrin a smile before she too, sat on her knees and started brushing his long, silky white hair. It was luxuriously soft and smelled sweetly of roses.

"I missed this." Forrest said, "We used to do this all the time, and just talk about things."

"It is soothing. Your hair smells so wonderful." Corrin was entranced as she brushed out his many ringlets.

"Mother... could you and Father try to come home earlier?" Corrin stopped brushing his hair, hovering the brush over the stands she had separated. "I'm sorry, was that selfish?"

"No... it wasn't selfish..." She said slowly, "You miss us that much?"

"We've been apart for so long, and he's still so young. It's only natural to want to spend more time together, especially with a war going on..." He began, "We sometimes join you in battle, but it's still a concern. For so long I waited in my deeprealm, just wondering if that would be the last time I ever saw you. So when you would brush my hair like this, it always provides a sense of comfort. It tells me you're still here."

"I-I'm... I'm so sorry...for everything.." Corrin cried as she dropped the brush to her knees, threw her arms around Forrest's shoulders, hugging him from behind. Kiragi was in a similar situation; he was always left waiting for she and Takumi, who visited as often as they possibly could. Time progressed much quicker in the deeprealms, as weeks would pass by as one day in the regular world. The Kana of Hoshido acted so similarly to this Kana in his mannerisms as well, constantly clinging to Corrin like a duckling. Forrest was such a sweet, sensitive soul, and she had grew attached to him in the very brief time they spent together.

She returned to her original position, wiping her eyes as Forrest turned around, facing her.

"I'm sorry Mother, I wasn't trying to make you cry." He said sadly, taking the brush and moving it back to the vanity.

"No, it's okay. I think I needed to hear that. I didn't understand the depth of your loneliness, or Kana's..." She wondered if Kiragi felt the same way; he was always such a happy, carefree child with a smile plastered on his face at all times. What if he was hiding his sadness and loneliness from them? The mere thought of it upset her more.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes I'm sorry, just thinking." She smiled, and stood, reaching her hand to Forrest's, "It's very late and you need to get some sleep, okay?"

"Okay." He took her hand, hugging her tightly after she pulled him up. Corrin closed Forrest's door behind her, and headed back to her bedroom. She found Leo already changed and sitting up in bed, unsurprisingly reading a tome as she made her way to the wardrobe. She removed her headband and the outer pieces of her armor and cape, her silhouette dancing through the nearby lamplight. With the wardrobe door open and blocking Leo's view, she began removing the rest of her armor, her cheeks plastered a deep shade a red.

"Would you like some privacy?" Leo asked, startling Corrin, sending a chill up her spine.

"Uh no.. almost done!" She hurriedly finished removing her armor and slipped on one of the many gowns in the wardrobe, this one hitting just above her knees and made of a luxurious satin.

"It's unlike you to be so shy, Corrin." He grinned, closing the tome and placing it on a makeshift table consisting of other tomes and books. He rose from the bed and walked over to her.

"Oh, is it?"

"You're blushing rather profusely as well."

"O-oh, am I?" She stuttered.

"Heh, now who is the one being cute?" He smirked, gently lifting her chin with the tips of his fingers, their eyes meeting the others gaze. His other hand pulling her closer, resting on the small of her back. He leaned in, closed his eyes and kissed her passionately. Regardless of how she saw him, she was still his wife and he regarded her as such. His kindness and affection the last few days had been unparalleled.

The wind was blowing slowly, the breeze moving the drapes slightly.

"Betrayal...................."

" _N-no.... no............. not now_... _please not now_..." She thought, staring at the drapes, seeing a figure shoot an arrow straight at her head. She screamed, pushed Leo into the wardrobe as she fell to the floor, staring at the window, her breathing labored.

"C-Corrin!?" Leo shouted, "What's wrong? Are you okay?" He knelt down beside her, placing a hand on the cheek of his wife, who was fixated on the window and the breeze. "There's nothing there Corrin.... it's just us..."

She caught herself as she looked up at Leo, wide eyed with a look of trauma on her face. She slowly reverted back to a normal expression, and Leo removed his hand, electing to sit beside her on the floor. He grabbed her, pulling her onto his lap, cradling her in his arms. Several moments passed as she was lost in thought, he with crippling worry.

"Say something... anything." He whispered. The lamplight had extinguished, the room was only slightly illuminated by the opened window and the moonlight shining within.

"..You're warm..."

"Heh... you're kind of cold. Do you want to go to bed?"

"Not yet..."

Corrin, exhausted, eventually fell asleep in Leo's arms. He carried her to their bed, gingerly laying her on the sheets before climbing beside her and covering them both with blankets. She had nightmares throughout the night, as Leo watched his wife lay in agony.

The nightmares had the same general premise; Takumi shouting betrayal every other word, repeatedly shooting arrows, and enveloped in a devastating aura.

"Ta.... kum.i..." Corrin whispered in her sleep, as Leo listened intently, "Taku.. mi.."

"Takumi?" Leo thought, "The Hoshidan Prince?"

"Please.. don't... why..... why are you... aiming at me...." She grimaced, tugging harder at Leo's shirt. He gently placed his hand on her head and started stroking her hair.

"Corrin..." Leo whispered, "Corrin it's okay..."

"N-no... not again.. please not again.... not here... why... why... " Her breathing grew more rapid as she started to tremble, "T-Takumi!" She shouted as she awoke, rising to Leo's worried eyes staring at her, her own filled with doubt and fear.

"Are you okay?" He asked quietly as her breathing regulated, "You've been having nightmares for some time now."

"I'm fine..." She put her palm to her forehead, moving away her hair.

"Tell me what's wrong, Corrin. You've acted strangely all day.... I'm very worried about you." He pleaded, taking her hand in his, lacing their fingers. Corrin had failed spectacularly in acting as the same Corrin he knew and loved dearly. Not only was she unusually distracted most of the day, but she had no recollection of simple tasks they did together, and she spoke against Xander in favor of Hoshido, something she had never actively done before today. "This is the second night you've woken up from a nightmare."

"I'm sorry.." Her words were faint as her expression turned to sorrow.

"Just tell me what happened." He beseeched as Corrin fell deathly silent. She contemplated telling Leo everything that transpired before the prior morning, including her life in Hoshido and her lack of romantic memories and feelings for him. There was no denying that she always felt a deep connection to Leo, though her heart ultimately belonged to Takumi, regardless of who was in front of her.

"If I tell you... will you promise to listen fully?" She asked determinedly.

"I do."


	4. Sovereign

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Corrin elects to tell Leo everything, hoping it's information he can handle, however he doesn't react quite as she expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I died a little writing this. It took me forever to do because honestly I didn't want to hurt Leo, but I have to imagine that he WOULD be devastated if Corrin (his Corrin) suddenly told him that she didn't love him because she didn't remember their life together. I (headcanon?) that he would want to deal with it silently, or at least process it a bit better. I mean think about it, he tells Camilla (in their supports) how he always wanted her affection so now he actually HAS someone's undivided attention and love, and it's taken away from him. Takumi would probably have a conniption if I had to guess. 
> 
> The Odin scene is a bit of a nod to Awakening. Odin and Niles pick up prominence in later chapters. 
> 
> Things are gonna get interesting.

If you found yourself in a seemingly impossible situation, what would you do? Would you fight? Would you run? Would you cry? These types of scenarios are always easily described but living them is different for all parties involved; we say we will run, but our feet will not move. We say we will fight, but our sword remains sheathed. We say we will cry, but our mouths remain silent, our eyes dry.

"This is difficult to say.. especially to you... you may not believe me but I promise you that I'm telling the truth."

It had been years since Corrin stood before both armies, both with hands outstretched, deathly silent, waiting her decision. Ultimately she would choose Hoshido, her decision being only one of many reasons why Nohr would immediately choose to wage war on the peace loving country. Corrin was a catalyst, used as a pawn which led to her Mother’s death at Garon’s hand. In the time since, she had developed long lasting friendships with the people of Hoshido as they fought against Nohr, successfully halting their advance.

"I'm listening."

How would life have been different if she had chosen Nohr instead? Would she have reservations about fighting her Hoshidan family as she does her Nohrian? How were the Nohrian siblings attempting to appease Garon, and what method, if any, had they developed to end the war? Would she have married Leo? What was their married life like, how did they fall in love? These were memories this Corrin simply did not possess, and questions she simply had no answers to.

"I don't belong here."

The Nohrians contained manufactured memories as well, or memories that alluded to a different Corrin than the one they had received. They no longer attacked her, or were hostile as they had been during their clashes with Hoshido. In fact her time in the Nohrian Echo had been quite calm and uneventful, save for the meeting where she learned how engrossed she was in a war. Nohr had invaded Hoshido, and was practically on the steps of its capital, having taken Sakura as a prisoner in the process.

"Excuse me?"

In a few days time, the Nohrian army would descend upon the Great Wall, a second line of defense of Fort Jinya. Corrin hadn't seen actual combat from this side yet; would whomever was there remember her presence? Had Hoshido already cemented an unwavering opinion of her?

“Leo, I have a life in Hoshido, I don't belong with Nohr."

The last few days had been such a horrific series of events that Corrin was at the peak of exhaustion. It all began when she missed several shots during an archery training session with Takumi; the self-doubt and anxiety was crippling, as she had normally been so confident and sure of herself. Corrin had lived though many impossible decisions, some better than others and some filled with considerable regret.

“You.. have a life in Hoshido? Corrin, what are you trying to say?”

She stared at Leo as dawn slowly crept above the horizon, though in Nohr, all it meant was the gloom was slightly lighter than the night. The light softly poured into the room as Corrin sat on the bed with her arms loosely wrapped around her knees, filled with palpable apprehension.

“Do you remember all those years ago whenever Xander and Ryoma asked me to choose between them? I chose Hoshido.” Corrin looked to Leo, her eyes were sorrowful, somber. "I woke up here, with you, two days ago...."

“Two days ago… that’s when you started having nightmares.” Leo said cautiously.

“Yeah….” She nodded, "Before that I started having visions, I saw Takumi just... consumed by this dark presence. I saw it last night too, in the window, before I uh.. pushed you." She tilted her head back, her eyes fixated on his.

"How did you get here?" He said calmly.

"I have no idea... I woke up, I was here." She sighed, "It was strange, I started reliving that day where they asked me to choose, and then I saw Takumi. It all seemed so...... real."

"Do you believe me?" Corrin asked, her words were hopeful as her heart raced out of her chest.

"To an extent. It defies any logic, but it does answer why you've been so unpredictable as of late." Leo was surprisingly calm and collected as he attempted to make sense of the situation. He listened intently at her every word, as she had changed very suddenly into a completely different person from whom he knew and loved. This Corrin was nervous, anxious and quiet, whereas the Corrin he fell for was always confident, loving and affectionate.

Corrin told him about several memories she had in Hoshido; the cuisine, the festivals and how the seasons looked and changed compared to Nohr. The events seemed to line up with Nohr's, notably Cheve and Cyrkensia, though the participants in each area were different as were the circumstances and outcomes. When quizzed on basic things that Nohr had done in the last several years, Corrin had no answer, only to offer the Hoshidan equivalent. Leo grew sadder with each answer she gave as her words proved convincing.

"I'm sorry, Leo. I can't imagine how hard this is for you, but thank you for at least listening." She smiled.

"You have knowledge of Hoshido that others do not. Even our best scouts don't have this type of insider information." Corrin had relaxed slightly since opening up to Leo.

“Wait. Does that mean...... you have no memory of me, do you?”

“…… Not... romantically, no.."

“……..” He tensed, moving from her gaze and forming a slight grimace. "We're not....?"

"No.."

Leo was noticeably crestfallen as he removed himself from the bed. He stood facing her, looking at the sheets.

"Nothing?"

"Leo..." Corrin rose from the bed and walked over to him, standing at his side.

"So I mean nothing to you?"

"N-no! You mean the world to me! Just... not...I'm sorry..."

"Gods..." Leo placed his palm over his face, concealing all but a grimace. Corrin backed up slightly, her hands held to her heart. "I want to believe that maybe this is a sickness, amnesia..? Maybe an elaborate story..." He cringed, "But you no longer look at me how you used to, you don't speak how you used to...you don't... tch.."

He turned to her, placing his hands on her shoulders and hanging his head lowly in front of her as to not look her in the eye. Corrin was worried and nervous, though she stood still.

"Tell me... this was all a lie, please..." Leo's words were faint as he choked. He began to lightly tremble as he gripped her shoulders tightly, tugging at her hair as it was caught underneath his fingers. She remained silent, unsure of her words or actions.

"You're not .. my Corrin.. then where.." He lifted his head quickly, aghast as he met her wistful gaze, "Where is she?" His words were daggers, they sent chills down Corrin's spine as all she could do is watch as he unraveled. Her words had damaged him significantly as the realization of her lack of memories, the fact that she had no recollection of their marriage or life together sank in.

"I...." Never had she seen Leo so despondent.

Leo let go of her, standing up straight and returning to his normal, stoic expression, quickly composing himself. Corrin lowered her defenses, moving her arms to her sides.

"Corrin...."

"Y-yes?" She hesitated.

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell Forrest or Kana about this." He walked past her toward the door, placing a hand on the doorknob, "Xander probably doesn't need to know either..."

"Leo.... wait!" Leo quickly opened the door, and left the room. Corrin was startled, and afraid, her anxiety rushing back like a waterfall.

Leo was absent for breakfast, having told Felicia beforehand that he would be predisposed due to upcoming battle preparations. Corrin spent the day waiting around their home, entertaining Leo's children, whom were none the wiser to the events that had transpired. Forrest, for the most part, kept himself occupied with his sewing, while Corrin and Kana played many games together. In fact it seemed like a perfectly normal day, save for his absence.

Leo had walked to the forest directly outside of Echo, a dark , foggy mess of tall trees and game prime for hunting. He sat under a tree, watching the grey clouds as they raced by. Previously there hadn't been one problem he, with all of his natural analytical talent and brilliance, couldn't process or think of a solution. When he fell for Corrin however, it was the first time he was truly bewildered. When she told him her story, it was the second time.

To him, initially it made little sense; she was claiming to be someone else after all, a faux Corrin who chose Hoshido over their home country. She may as well have ripped his heart to shreds, as he was consumed with pain and anguish. However he simply couldn't deny all the facts and knowledge she had of Hoshido in contrast to Nohr, nor could he dismiss her demeanor or reluctance the last few days. Could he trust her words, or should be dismiss them as an illness?

"Milord Leo, why are you out here by yourself?"

"Niles... I was just thinking, that's all."

Niles was one of was of Leo's most loyal retainers, having been recruited during a failed robbery of Castle Krakenburg. Niles had always been eternally grateful to Leo for giving him a chance, something most others did not. He was an exceptionally skilled outlaw, known for making lewd commentary.

"Odd place for thinking, Milord. You could get hit by a stray arrow." Niles said, as another retainer rushed to catch up to them, standing beside Niles, gasping for breath.

"You l-left me back there to deal with the forces of overwhelming darkness alone!" He gasped.

"You're fine, Odin." Niles smirked.

Odin was a mage similar to Leo, though lacking the same skill or abilities. Only Leo could wield Brynhildr, the mightiest tome in existence. Odin was known for his theatrics and embellishments, though deep down he was kind hearted and humble.

"I haven't seen any hunters." Leo rose from the floor, staring at the sky.

"You seem distracted Milord, everything alright?" Niles crossed his arms and looked at Leo earnestly.

"What would either of you do if someone you cared about forgot your existence?" Leo turned to both retainers as their expressions shifted, Odin was especially troubled by Leo's words. Leo was normally not so open with anyone, let alone his retainers.

"I'm not sure what I would do. People come and go all the time, and it's difficult to get attached to any one person," Niles began, "I would be bothered by it sure, but there's nothing I could do, right?"

Odin remained silent, an unusual occurrence for the normally boisterous mage.

"Odin?" Niles nudged.

"It's heart wrenching, isn't it? Someone you loved, cared for, admired, and adored just torn from you like it's nothing. Then when you see them again, it's not the same..." Odin quietly trailed off as Leo and Niles watched, stunned, "The happy memories are what hurts."

"You sound like you have experience in the subject." Niles said.

"N-No! Not at all, that was just the all consuming darkness of the abyss creeping in and taking hold!" Odin stuttered as he composed himself.

"Of course it was." Niles smirked.

Night had fallen before Leo returned home, quietly opening the door and closing it just as easily. He walked into the bedroom, finding Corrin curled up, asleep on top of the blankets. He reached down, placing his hand on her hair, and very gently running his fingers through it, noticing its softness. She was familiar to him, though she had an air about her; it was somber, and made him melancholy.

"Hnnn..." She rustled, as Leo knelt down beside the bed, placing his elbows on the blanket and resting his head on his arms. She slowly opened her eyes and jolted awake upon seeing him staring at her.

"L-Leo! You're back!" She exclaimed, sitting up, bracing her body with her arms.

"Corrin..." His words were faint, "I want to trust you, and what you say. It's difficult for me...." He slightly cringed, "I feel like... I lost you...."

Leo climbed on the bed, sitting on his knees, directly in front of Corrin. Hemoved his hand to her face, resting it gently on her cheek, staring deeply into her crimson eyes.

"I wonder... is my Corrin in you?"


	5. Tremors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Corrin visits Sakura, a captive held at Fort Jinya, as a devastating battle begins.

The prisons in Fort Jinya were cold, with many cells frequently unused. Princess Sakura had been given preferential treatment, as her cell was covered in many blankets and pillows, and she was allowed most requests save for her release. Her retainers, each to one side of her, had similar cells and privileges. Corrin stood motionless as she stared at Sakura, who rose from her knees and walked over to the bars that divided them. Sakura’s retainer Hana, attempting in vain to reach Corrin could only spout vicious words at her. Subaki, her other, much more polite retainer, sat quietly in his cell as he listened, watching Corrin’s every move.

“C-Corrin, w-why are you here?” Sakura asked as Corrin placed her hands on the bars, resting her forehead against them.

“I hate seeing you like this…” Corrin said slowly.

“Then let us go!” Hana screeched.

“I can’t do that Hana.” Corrin said quietly.

“Yes you can! You put us here!”

Corrin lifted her head, watching Hana’s furious eyes burn daggers through her, “I… put you here?”

“Don’t act like you don’t remember!” Hana howled, “You trapped all of us in here!”

“Hana.. please..” Sakura begged. Corrin moved her somber gaze back to Sakura; the young princess was very shy and meek, nervously fidgeting and averting her eyes as to not meet Corrin’s.

“Sakura….. have we... spent any time.. together?” She asked.

“Together?” Sakura asked quizzically.

“Yeah….”

It began to rain rather heavily, quickly saturating the ground above them. There were no windows in these prisons; their walls illuminated by lamplight. Still, the force of the rain was loud enough that it echoed through the ground.

“I-I don’t k-know what you m-mean…”

“It’s nothing, I’m sorry..” Corrin sighed, disjointed.

Sakura walked up to her, placing her hand over Corrin’s as it was wrapped around the bar. Sakura was an incredibly compassionate young woman, and she could sense unrest in Corrin. Corrin jolted back slightly, as Sakura softly smiled at her.

“I should tell you… we’re mobilizing to the Great Wall. Xander wants to use you as a bargaining chip to get through.” Corrin was apathetic in her words, her eyes listless, as tears started to well up in Sakura’s. She removed her hand from Corrin’s, taking several steps back.

“I’m sorry, Sakura.” Corrin moved away from her cell, as Sakura watched, “I wanted things to be different and…. and… they are. Not the different that I know. Not the different that you deserve….”

“I hate seeing you like this, I really… really do…”

Corrin recollected her memories of Sakura, the happy, blissful smiling face she always had. Though she was young, she was a joy to be around. She was shy, unlike Corrin’s adoptive sister Elise, who was quite boisterous. Still, the two were strikingly similar in how they presented themselves. They would have gotten along very well, had they the opportunity.

The rain made it difficult for mobilization efforts, as the ground became soft and horses, which most of Nohr utilized, had trouble with the land in spots. The topography of Hoshido was different than Nohr, as was most things, though the soil was often softer and infinitely more fertile. It did not rain often in Hoshido, and especially not this hard.

At home, Kana was stuck inside attached to a window, watching the rain pour down. Forrest was sewing in his room, the door ajar and humming to himself. Corrin sat in silence as Jakob placed a cup of tea on the small table next to her. She took the cup, sipping the tea and noticing its strong lemon notes.

“Lady Corrin, you’re rather quiet today.” Jakob said as he stood near her, Corrin’s eyes to the floor.

“I met with Sakura.” She said impassively.

“May I ask why, Milady?”

“Jakob… if I had joined Hoshido instead of Nohr…. You would have followed me … right?” The question was semi-loaded, Corrin already knew that Jakob existed in Hoshido and had forsaken Nohr.

“Of course. My loyalty is to you and you alone.” He insisted.

“Alright.” She took another sip of the tea.

“Lord Leo hasn’t returned yet. Seems like he would be here, especially during such a storm.” Jakob was attempting to make small talk, but to no avail. Corrin was slightly startled at hearing Leo’s name, though she knew she was the reasoning behind his absence. Jakob had a special way of cheering Corrin up, and on many occasions he would spend the night talking with her in the event she was afraid, or couldn’t sleep. In many ways, he was her very best friend and he cared deeply for her. In Hoshido, he had a wife and a son, though Dwyer didn’t seem to exist here, nor did his wife.

“I’m sure he’s fine.” Corrin finished the tea, returning the cup to the saucer and placing her hands in her lap. At no time did her eyes ever leave the floor.

Leo was in one of the larger store houses in the encampment, sitting on a crate with his feet crossed and propped on the other, reading a book. Odin entered the room, finding Leo perched behind several crates of vegetables, most of them tomatoes.

"Lord Leo?" He asked, walking over to him.

"Hm?" Leo replied, "What is it Odin?"

"I wanted to ask you about what you said in the woods, if I could." Odin was known for his theatrics and embellished method of speaking, but with Leo or during times of stress, he had a calmer demeanor. Odin was pushed on Leo by Garon, having been made his retainer when they hadn't even met. Leo grew to respect Odin over time, and considers him a valuable friend.

"That was nothing, really." Leo answered, his eyes never leaving his book.

"Did something happen with Lady Corrin?"

"Odin, it's not like you to pry into someone's personal life." Leo said, closing the book and holding it in his lap.

"I know, but what you said really got to me. I apologize if I've gone too far Milord."

"Was Niles correct in saying you had experience in the subject?" He asked.

"In a way... yes." Odin said, taking a seat on a crate in front of Leo, "Someone I loved didn't know who I was, but.. it was not their fault."

"Did they forget you?"

"No, they never knew me."

"I see..." He said somberly, "What did you do?"

"I had no choice but to accept it as a fact. The worst part was that I still saw them everyday..." Odin trailed off as Leo's eyes widened.

"What caused it?" Leo asked.

"I'd ... rather not say." Odin was quiet as he reminisced about his past and his experience.

"Understood, I won't pry." Leo nodded, "Corrin is... going through something rather similar."

"Similar, Milord?"

"This doesn't leave this room, alright?" Leo was stern in his words as Odin nodded in agreement. "She hasn't been the same for a few days now. She told me she has no memory of me or our life together. Instead, she has a life in Hoshido."

"Milord..."

"I don't know what caused it, or if it's even true." He cringed, moving a hand to his face, "It's painful."

"I imagine so." Odin said, his words laced with empathy.

A few hours had passed as the rain slowed significantly to a light drizzle. Nohr had halted its advance for the day, the rain proving far too difficult to mobilize, which in turn would give Hoshido the upper hand. Words from scouts varied, though most say that there were multiple Hoshidans mobilized on the wall, all heavily armed. Nohr increased its presence at Fort Jinya with multiple foot soldiers, several of which were tasked with guarding Sakura's cell.

Corrin was in her room, changing into some lighter attire since being given the order to stand idle. Hearing a noise behind her, she quickly turned around as a hand was placed on her mouth, muffling her startled scream. 

"Shhh.... Princess, it's only me."

Corrin raised her hand in struggle, but the figure grabbed her wrist, stopping her.

"You're feisty." He said, releasing her. Corrin did not recognize the figure, his hair as white as hers, though his skin darker and an eyepatch covered one eye.

"Don't worry, I know my boundaries," He said, crossing his arms, "I wouldn't dare play with you, no matter what wonderful sounds you make."

Corrin was incredibly confused, a strange man was standing in her room, making idle chatter while she was half dressed. Her current attire was, thankfully, long enough to cover herself, though she wondered exactly how long he was in the room when she began changing.

"Milord Leo has a message for you," He began as Corrin lowered her guard, "He says he won't be home this evening."

"T-that's all? You couldn't have told me that outside my room!?" She exclaimed.

"More excitement this way." He smirked and headed for the window, "Anything you'd like me to relay, Princess?" Corrin thought for a moment before shaking her head. He departed quickly, leaving no trace. 

The night would soon come, and the rain eventually stopped. Fog soon set in, covering the encampment in a damp eeriness. Fort Jinya was the same, covered in fog and surrounded by damp hillsides.

Corrin left her home in the middle of the night dressed in a dark, hooded cape; Echo was dark save for a few patrolmen, none of which were near her making her escape easy. She headed for Fort Jinya, the guards willingly letting her into the cells due to her status. She found Sakura and her retainers fast asleep, their food trays seemed untouched. Corrin wrapped her hands lightly around the bars again, watching Sakura as she tossed under the blanket.

A hand lightly touched her shoulder, and Corrin, startled, quickly turned to meet Leo's gaze, his finger to his mouth motioning her to keep quiet. She let go of the bars, he took her hand and led her upstairs to a small meeting room.

"Corrin, what are you doing prowling around this time of night?" He asked her sternly.

"How did you..." She asked quietly.

"I saw you leave."

She had no answer, only staring at him remorsefully.

"You're planning on freeing them, aren't you?" He was watching her with such fervor, she was taken aback by his sudden reprimanding tone.

"Corrin, please," He sighed, moving closer to her, "I know it's difficult but please, understand that we are in war."

"I know..."

"Xander and Father would be furious if they knew. Your safety would be in jeopardy, perhaps even your life. Besides, how would you successfully free them without all the soldiers stopping you?" He continued, "Corrin, I love you bu----" Leo stopped, catching himself and placing a hand over his mouth.

"I'm sorry, I lost myself." He apologized.

"Leo..."

"Let's just forget this ever happened, alright?" He said, hanging his head and placing a palm over his face, "You should go back home."

"What about you?" She asked.

"I... shouldn't stay with you." He said, straightening his posture and moving his hand back to his side. "I've made other arrangements."

"And what about Forrest and Kana?"

"They're fine." He said.

"Leo... Forrest told me how much he and Kana miss us when we're gone... you should at least stay at the house, I can leave." She insisted.

"Us..." He cringed, "If you think that is what they need then ... "

The following morning the troops resumed mobilization, and Echo was alive was anticipation as they prepared horses and weaponry. The ground was still very soft and slippery, making preparations tricky at best. Foot soldiers were deployed first, standing at the front lines, awaiting the order to attack. The Great Wall was towering and massive, with a few barricaded entrances and several long range ballistae dotting the highest wall.

Leo was dressing himself in his armor, as Corrin had a quick breakfast with Forrest and Kana. Tensions were high, even among her retainers, as the constant noises of horses and soldiers could be heard, even at their height in their home. Both Forrest and Kana were being deployed in the rear; Forrest was an adept healer, while Kana excelled at attacking. Both had seen many battles and didn't seem to be nervous, despite this particular battle being a major one.

Leo walked out of the bedroom, fully armored and was met by Corrin as she was walking by.

"Oh...! Leo ... " She said, startled.

"My mistake, Corrin."

"W-Wait!" She shouted, "Leo... your collar."

"Damnit..." Leo returned to the bedroom to put his collar on the correct way; inside out was a frequent occurrence for him, especially happening during times of great stress, or times when Leo was normally very lost in his thoughts.

At the Great Wall, Corrin was positioned near the front lines, near Xander's unit and paired with Jakob, mostly for protection, though Jakob proved himself a capable fighter. Sakura was brought to the battlefield in chains, held far back near the entrance to Fort Jinya. Her retainers were left in their cells, though Sakura was well guarded. Leo walked over to Corrin after their deployment, the battle having not begun. He grabbed her, pulled her toward him and hugged her tightly. She was startled, but returned the hug.

"I know you're not my Corrin," He said softly, "But please... don't die."

A great battle ensued as the soldiers followed the formation that Xander had given them previously. The rain had made the conditions difficult for Nohr, though not unmanageable. The fog had thinned, and the temperature was cool. Corrin reluctantly staggered onto the battlefield with the Yato, her divine sword, when she saw a horrific sight that sent a furious tremor down her spine.

To her front was Takumi, the husband she knew and loved dearly, and here he was, aiming straight for her head. To her right was Kiragi, though his hair was a deep blue instead of white. He too, was aiming straight for her head. In front of him was Oboro, ready to strike with her spear at any moment. Corrin grimaced as she unknowingly backed into Jakob, who placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Milady... are you alright?"

Tears starting pouring down her cheeks as she watched her husband and son aim for her, destined to kill her.

_"I.... I can't... "_

Corrin caught a brief glimpse of the malefic aura she had encountered in her nightmares the last several days, as it slowly consumed Takumi. The way he was moving and holding his bow wasn't reminiscent of his normal actions. This Takumi clearly had no idea of their life together, or at least, he didn't remember in a similar way that she didn't remember her life with Leo.

"Milady, we're awaiting your orders."

Corrin stood at the entrance, ignoring Xander's orders to attack, Jakob protecting her from any rogue arrows or shots from the ballista. She watched as one by one Hoshidans were injured and forced into retreat, while on the other side of the battle came phantasmal screams from soldiers who were massacred without hesitation. The Yato was pulsating in her hand, almost painful to hold. 

"Corrin! Why aren't you in the battle?!" Xander shouted as he pushed a Hoshidan archer to the ground, breaking his bow, causing him to run.

" _Xander I... I ..."_

"Your men need a leader! Get out there!" Xander moved up to Kiragi and Oboro, she standing firm, her spear pointed at Xander, Kiragi with an arrow at the ready.

"Get out of my way, I don't want to hurt you." He looked at them with regret, noticing how much the younger archer resembled the spear master.

"Nohrian Scum! You'll NEVER take Hoshido!" Oboro's face turned into an intense grimace as she lunged at Xander with her spear at the helm, aiming for his head.

"OBORO NO!" Corrin shouted as she ran toward Xander, his Siegfried in mid air.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Obviously Sakura wasn't "in chains" during this battle if you follow the actual game, and Kiragi most likely didn't exist (the game never specifically says the kids of the opposite side don't exist but then again it doesn't play up the kids much at all). Leo very obviously still cares about Corrin, I mean, he's not going to just phase her out like that psh. 
> 
> Also Odin and Niles, huhu. Niles is honestly fun to write, Odin may be a wee bit OOC here. I'd imagine if he was thinking of the awakening storyline, he's not being all "SWORDHAND" and etc etc. 
> 
> I know y'all are curious about Nohr!Corrin, just wait and see ;)


	6. Manipulation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The battle of The Great Wall of Suzanoh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- lies on ground  
> \- assumes fetal position  
> ***** HUGEEEEEEEEEEEE Conquest Spoilers cause apparently I enjoy pain *GROSS SOBBING* *******

The stench of blood and death wafted over the fields between the Great Wall and Fort Jinya. Nohr was succeeding in their advance, overshadowed by the arrival of Garon and his own personal units who showed no mercy to anyone on the battlefield. Garon stood firm, watching as fear set across the battlefield, ordering his soldiers to attack their own men if he thought they were becoming more of a liability. He was truly a cruel, unjustifiably horrible man with a vile temperament.

The ballistae proved a difficult obstacle, as wyverns were shot out of the sky almost instantly. Archers were nimble, proving difficult to pin down. Xander, in his attempts at compassion, would choose not to kill but instead incapacitating his enemy, forcing them to flee. Leo fought in a similar style, using Brynhildr to knock out his foes or break their weaponry. Their other siblings, Elise and Camilla, also employed similar tactics though all did so out of Garon’s watchful eye. Despite the fact that he was their Father, he had no limitations on who would be killed if they disobeyed, or if he felt as though they weren’t performing well. Garon had no qualms about killing for the sake of killing.

The Yato was a divine blade that chose Corrin immediately after the castle town around Shirasagi was destroyed, and her Mother slain. It had gone through several upgrades in the time she had it; while in Hoshido it shone blue after being fused with Takumi’s divine weapon, the Fujin Yumi. In Nohr, however, it was shining a bright crimson red, Corrin not knowing why. Xander’s Siegfried was another divine weapon, a long sword imbued with darkness befitting of Nohr.

Sakura was well protected as many Hoshidan’s tried in vain to rescue her, all meeting their untimely deaths in the process. Takumi hadn’t given the direct order to save her either; he did little speaking, instead staying perched atop the citadel, his eyes fixated on Corrin. Corrin was racing toward Xander and Oboro, the Yato dragging behind, clanking against rocks and debris as she ran. Xander’s Siegfried pushed away Oboro’s spear, its long blade slicing her skin from her collarbone to her left shoulder. Oboro fell backwards, landing on her knees, clutching her shoulder as the arm went numb. Blood trickled down her armor, as small droplets fell to the ground off the Siegfried. Oboro’s spear was sent over the side of the cliff, leaving her a minuscule threat.

“MOM!” Kiragi yelled, the very sound sent shock-waves through Corrin as Kiragi ran to Oboro’s side, kneeling beside her. Corrin moved to Xander’s side, as he sat atop his horse just watching the pair, his expression unchanged. Corrin was holding the Yato very loosely as she felt her grip weaken and her heart pound harder.

“Kiragi… run!” Oboro said through labored breaths, as she was consumed by pain.

“I won’t leave you!” Kiragi insisted as Oboro hunched over slightly.

“Don’t argue with me! Just go!” She shouted.

“Mom…” Kiragi rose up, grabbing his bow and moving directly in front of Xander, readying it with an arrow from his quiver.

“NO! Please! Listen to her Kiragi!” Corrin pleaded, “Xander, please don’t… don’t do this, I beg you!” She grabbed onto his arm, tugging him down slightly. Xander only looked at her perplexed as her expression was that of someone who was panicked, and visibly shaken, her eyes were large and her cheeks flushed from her earlier crying.

“Corrin….?”

“Don’t attack! Please don’t kill him!” She begged as a duo of archers appeared in the battlement above them; Xander quickly shook off Corrin, and used his Siegfried to stop their arrows, releasing a bolt of darkness at them in the process, incapacitating both. Seeing an opening, Kiragi released his own arrow at Xander who quickly swung Siegfried back at the young archer, releasing another bolt which broke his bow and sent him to his knees. Kiragi held himself up by his palms on the dirt beneath him, the bolt leaving him jarred as Oboro moved over next to him. He was otherwise unhurt, save for a few minor cuts and light burns from some of the rogue discharge of the bolt.

“There’s nothing you can do now boy. You should leave this battlefield while you can still walk.” Xander said with an unrepentant tone as Corrin watched in disbelief. Oboro had grown progressively weaker from her injuries, though her eyes never left Corrin; they seethed with rage and her words held such significant acrimony from her abundant hatred of Nohrians. Kiragi tried assisting Oboro by propping her up, though she had grown too weak to stand.

“Did I hear that right?” The harsh voice of Iago, one of King Garon’s most loyal servants could be heard, “Prince Xander, you’re allowing Hoshidan’s to escape?” Xander fell silent as Iago materialized across from them, Kiragi and Oboro to his right and Xander and Corrin to his left.

“You are aware that the order was to kill everyone, correct? Hm… and it looks like one might be the youngest Prince of Hoshido. Peculiar.” Iago’s words were condescending; his voice was cold and unfeeling.

“And you, young Princess,” Iago began, “Seem to be uncertain of yourself.” Corrin cringed as she gripped the Yato tighter in her hand. The Iago of her time was a terrible cretin of a man, using his sorcery for personal gain and he had tried a countless number of times to have her killed by any means necessary. He seemed to be the same in Nohr, with that crooked smile.

“Iago, neither can fight any longer.” Xander said.

“That is precisely why they must die.” Iago interjected as Oboro fainted. "Ah, well, how convenient."

“Mom!” Kiragi shouted, trying in vain to hold her up, though she ultimately lay on the ground.

“Oboro!” Corrin attempted to dash over to her before being stopped by Xander.

"We should take him as a prisoner instead." Xander began, "Use him along with Princess Sakura as a political tool."

"Not a terrible idea, however....." Iago walked over to Kiragi who pulled a small hunting knife from his pocket, attempting to protect Oboro as she lay silent. "One Hoshidan royal is enough, and the Princess is of a higher station. She would prove more useful. There is simply no need for him."

"Kiragi don't!" Corrin shouted, desperately trying to get out of Xander's protection, "Put the knife away!" He had moved the Siegfried in front of her stance. Her only options were to climb over Xander or fall off the cliff in order to pass.

"My goodness Princess Corrin, you seem to have taken a liking to this one." Iago smirked.

_He's... my son..._

"Iago... please....." She pleaded.

"You're bargaining with me?" The inflection in Iago's voice was curious. He was almost pleased with the development.

_My... Kiragi.._

"Lower your weapon, boy." Xander said sternly, "You couldn't win this fight." Kiragi slowly lowered the knife, though he was anxious and defensive. His bright golden eyes normally filled with hope and optimism were consumed by fear and restlessness. Behind him lay his mother, her time growing shorter with each passing moment, and he was surrounded with nothing but a short, dull blade for protection that he had reluctantly agreed to lower.

"Hm. I imagine King Garon wouldn't approve of your sudden merciless stance, especially toward a Hoshidan Prince." Iago was smug, having backed Xander and Corrin into a corner.

_Garon... is here?_

"So Father is on the battlefield already..." Xander trailed off.

"Oh, you didn't know? He has been watching both of you closely, ever since Princess Corrin's pleading to keep Princess Sakura alive."

_I... begged for Sakura...?_

"Wasn't it you Princess Corrin, who agreed that all seeds of rebellion mustn't be allowed to sprout in Cheve? Surely you understand that allowing someone of such a high station to live means that he will have supporters who will eventually rise against Nohr." He smirked.

_Did I really... say that?_

Xander raised his Siegfried high in the air, summoning a bolt which struck Kiragi. He blacked out instantly, his voice stolen by the sudden jolt. Corrin's eyes welled up once again as she stood beside Xander motionless, unable to muster any sort of viable reaction to what she had just witnessed as he lowered his blade. Corrin was in shock, her body paralyzed.

"Hmph. Aren't you lucky." Iago said, looking on at the stationary body that lay at his feet. "You and your loopholes." Iago snickered, as he retreated back to King Garon's side to give his many damning reports. Cheve was clearly a pivotal turning point in Corrin's military campaign, though in the version she remembers there was a long rebellion which ultimately succeeded, causing Scarlet, their leader, to join Echo. She could only surmise that in this world the rebellion must have failed, leaving Scarlet's fate unknown.

"He's not dead, Corrin." Xander began, "But she will be, if a medic doesn't show soon." He said, referring to Oboro.

"Xander.... how..."

"I told you before that we had methods." He sighed, "Iago probably thinks we will leave him here for dead." Xander moved his horse further along on the path, moving closer to the citadel where Takumi was stationed.

"We need to go Corrin, reinforcements will arrive soon." He said sternly.

"What... about.. them....." She said, "We can't just... we can't leave them here....! They'll die!"

"There's nothing we can do now. If they die, we can give them proper burials when this is over." 

"If they... die..You're going to just leave them here!? You can't! I won't abandon him!!" She proclaimed as a battalion of Hoshidan reinforcements started marching toward them. Xander pulled Corrin onto his horse before moving further up the path toward the citadel. Corrin struggled and resisted Xander's assistance as he effectively moved her out of the reach of the reinforcements, who were closely followed by several Nohrian soldiers. They met up with Leo's unit in a dark tower just outside of the citadel, Leo having taken an alternative route through the Wall itself.

Xander finally gave into Corrin's struggles, releasing her to the floor as she dropped the Yato on the ground.

"What happened?" Leo asked concernedly, as Corrin fell to her knees, hanging her head.

"Watch after her Leo, there are reinforcements behind us." Xander left the tower to deal with the oncoming threat which was quickly closing in to their location. Leo dismounted his horse and walked over to Corrin, kneeling beside her. She remained silent, just staring at the smooth stonework of the floor. The Yato was pulsating again, its light brightening up the entire space. He lifted his armored hand to her face, touching it lightly.

"Corrin....?"

Corrin stood, initially ignoring Leo before picking up the Yato and moving closer to the door to advance. He carefully watched her every move and step, noticing how disjointed it was. Leo rose to his feet, clutching Brynhildr at his side. Corrin stood at the door, her back to Leo.

"Takumi is ahead of us." She said, her voice bearing very little emotion. "I should warn you now...."

"Warn me?"

"Takumi was my husband."

"Your husband....then he's.." He whispered.

"Yes. I only have memories of him, but he has none of me. This Takumi seems very... different, but familiar too...." She trailed off. "I think.... I understand then.."

"Corrin?"

"This all started when I saw him covered in this dark aura... it was so malicious and evil, I could sense how frightened he was... I've seen it multiple times while I've been... here." She began, her voice cracking as she choked, "And now my son is... no...he's not mine here... Oboro's son... is possibly dead. So I wonder..."

She turned to Leo, her expression very calm, "Will I wake up soon? If this is one long nightmare, it's exceedingly cruel..."

"I can't imagine what you're going through, Corrin..." Leo said as he walked over to her, "Though.... I can empathize with how you feel, knowing the person you love remembers nothing." He bent over slightly, giving her forehead a quick kiss, "For luck."

Leo opened the door to the citadel, greeted by a lone Takumi, his Fujin Yumi at the ready. Corrin followed, standing beside him.

"You... traitor!" Takumi screeched as he pulled back the bowstring, ready to release.

"Takumi...." Corrin spoke with a certain air of anxiousness in her voice, a stark contrast to how she had been with Leo just a few moments earlier, as the weight of the situation began to hang heavily on her.

"Don't you DARE say my name! I'll KILL YOU WHERE YOU STAND!"

Takumi released the arrow, it flying right at Corrin as she stood motionless. Leo used his Brynhildr to stop the arrow in its tracks. He walked in front of Corrin, defending her.

"Corrin. If you won't fight then leave this to me."

A spectacular fight ensued; Leo with his Brynhildr, Takumi with the Fujin Yumi, both exchanged blows as Corrin defended against any rogue arrows with the Yato. Both Takumi and Leo were covered in their own blood, the fight dragging on to the point of extreme exhaustion. Their abilities were equal, though Takumi was far more nimble as Leo was far more calculated. Leo had bested him, the exhaustion taking hold as the aura Corrin had seen so many times before ravaged about the citadel. Takumi backed up to the wall, his hands clenching the stone, his head and heart pounding.

"We could have been a family! Why.. Why did you go back to Nohr!?" He sobbed, as he climbed on the stone, standing on its edge.

"Takumi, NO!" Corrin shouted as Takumi tossed himself off the wall, Corrin running to him, her hand reaching in vain. He was falling, and all she could do is watch in horror as he fell to the ground, landing among the dense fog, his body unseen.

It was an impossible decision.

In this world, she had chosen Nohr. In the other world, she had chosen Hoshido. In each side she had a loving family, she was married, she had sons. She was well respected, she had control over her thoughts and feelings. She never spoke out of turn in war meetings. She never missed shots with her arrows. She never had to watch as her son was struck down by her Brother, or her husband consumed by his own darkness. These worlds were so undeniably different from one another. Why were so many lives impacted by her decision to choose one over the other?

It was a truly impossible decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a difficult chapter to write. I knew I wanted to write this battle, and the topography of the Great Wall is a wee bit different in the game versus this story even though it ended the same way. I have about six different versions of it, one of which Kiragi actually died, Oboro died, there was a brief mention of Hinata dying via some rocks, Corrin went on a rampage killing damn near everything, and one where Iago just straight up didn't exist and instead Garon is the one who pops up like a daisy. That last version ended up being entirely too gruesome for my tastes besides being inconsistent - Corrin has no idea that she's "going along with" Azura's plan in order to get him to sit on that White Throne (actual conquest story), because again there's no Azura to mindlessly lead her everywhere. Garon would have probably just killed her on the spot for being defiant. I haven't written Azura into this story and I don't think I will at this point. Clearly she exists (for the sake of context let's assume all the characters exist) but she's not prominent. 
> 
> Part of the reason why Xander spared Kiragi was not only to pacify Iago, but to help out Corrin and himself. In his supports with Nyx he mentions how much he detests killing of any kind. Considering they mostly fought archers, you can assume that Xander used the ranged portion of the Siegfried. Both Kiragi and Oboro live, too. If you played the end of Conquest (or visited tumblr for like 1.5 seconds) then you know what happened to Takumi. 
> 
> I'm thinking this story will end around Chapter 10 or 12. You catchin' that callback to chapter 1? Awwww yeaaaah.


	7. Staged

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All was revealed. 
> 
> All was dark.
> 
> All was silent.

Corrin hurried off of the citadel, making her way back down the path noting that neither Kiragi or Oboro were there. The Nohrian army was steadily marching through the narrow passageway and onto the long path which would lead to Castle Shirasagi. She bumped her way through the foot soldiers making it to the other side of the wall, running along its side until she was directly underneath the citadel. The fog was dense, making visibility poor. At the base of the wall were many thorn bushes, and as well as a large hill. Takumi’s body was missing, though Corrin was certain that if she had found him, he would be dead as a fall from that height would be impossible to survive. At the very least, she wanted some form of validation that what she saw was real. If only she had the opportunity to speak to him normally without his desire to kill her manifesting – would things have changed? At this point it would be impossible to determine. It had been less than a week since she appeared as a Nohrian ally, less than a week since her entire life and the lives of those around her changed considerably.

“Are you lost, Princess?” Iago asked, appearing closely behind Corrin, startling her.

“No.” She replied sternly.

“If you’re looking for the body, the Hoshidan’s removed it already.”

“How did you ---“

“Though it begs the question as to why you’re so concerned about his body in the first place. I’ve been receiving reports on your progress, you know.” His mouth formed a crooked smile, “They’ve told me you’ve been acting rather different lately. Even Prince Leo has distanced himself from you and you were once inseparable.”

“But that’s----“

“Your behavior in this battle is rather peculiar as well. You didn’t raise your sword to any enemy, instead pleading for the lives of the Hoshidans, that young Prince in particular.” Corrin could feel herself beginning to panic; her breathing became more labored, her stance more defensive. His words angered her.

“Tell me Princess, have you been feeling out of sorts lately? Like you don’t… _quite_ belong?” He smirked.

“Who are you to question my loyalty!?” She commanded with intense fervor in her voice, acting the part of a faithful Nohrian Princess though she knew he had her cornered.

“What happened in Cheve?” He interjected.

“What…?”

“You appear to have no memory of Cheve, a rather significant battle that you led. Am I wrong?”

Corrin thought about the events of Cheve that she remembered, namely that Camilla and her retainers were present along with Hans, King Garon’s subordinate with an insatiable blood lust. Hoshido had allied with Scarlet to secure their independence from Nohrian rule, proving successful in the end. In this version, however, Scarlet was noticeably absent and the Nohrian’s seemed to consider the uprising quelled.

“What does Cheve have to do with anything?” She asked with a viable intensity, “You’re being very condescending. You’d best learn to watch your tongue.”

“Really now, a threat?” He said slyly.

“…… We need to be certain that our enemies have perished, shouldn’t we? Not letting the seeds of rebellion sprout?” Her words were sharp as she recanted what Iago had told her earlier, though it pained her to say it. Iago’s expression changed, no longer was his voice cocky, and his brow furrowed. “That’s why I rushed down here, to make absolutely sure….. he was dead.”

Leo had caught up to Corrin after wading through the foot soldiers and the fog. He was injured; the left side of his armor at his waist was damaged and lightly covered in blood. He had a small, almost unnoticeable limp and a slight grimace. Corrin hurried over to Leo, who propped himself against the wall with his palm, the other arm holding his waist.

“Iago, I assume we’re done here.” She said, gently touching Leo’s hand and moving it from his injury.

“Hmph.” He snarled before vanishing.

“What was that about?” Leo cringed as Corrin gently touched the cut made by Takumi’s arrow. Thankfully, the cut wasn’t deep, and the bleeding had stopped, but it was enough to be a nuisance.

“You need a healer….” She said quietly.

“Ah… -- Tch….” He grimaced as he hunched over slightly, Corrin retracting her hand.

“We need to get you back to Echo…we can bandage you up while waiting for a healer.” Corrin said anxiously, allowing him to use her for balance as they returned Echo. The Nohrian army would cease their march for the night just outside the city surrounding Castle Shirasagi, noting how unusually empty and desolate the city itself was, almost as if Nohr had brought the darkness with it. Back at Echo, Corrin led Leo to their room where he removed his armor revealing a black undershirt and dark pants. Corrin grabbed a small basin of water, some cloth, bandages and healing salve.

Leo lifted his shirt as Corrin cleaned the wound and the blood from his skin; he cringed and grunted at her touch, as it was at times more forceful than necessary.

“You should probably change shirts too… since this one has a gash in it.” Corrin said as she applied the salve, greatly easing his pain.

“Probably.” He agreed. “… this is bittersweet.”

“Bittersweet?” Corrin asked curiously.

“My Corrin would have done this.” He said, giving her a brief, soft smile.

“I’m sorry I didn’t even realize –“

“There’s no reason for you to apologize, Corrin. It is only part of your nature.”

“Leo….” She whispered as she affixed the bandage to his waist, “Thank you… for everything…”

“I must admit it was surprising to hear that you had married Prince Takumi, of all Hoshidans…” He said as he lowered his shirt, “Does this mean you were not born in Hoshido then?”

“No… my Mother married into the Hoshidan royal family, we’re unrelated by birth.” Corrin said as she put away the remainder of the materials. “He does remind me a lot of you.” She smiled, turning back to face Leo.

“H-He does?” Leo cringed slightly, “Are you trying to insult me?”

“Not at all,” She laughed,”He’s… really very gentle once you get to know him. Sweet and caring, whines a little when he doesn’t get his way,” She teased as she recalled how Leo acted when they were in the war meeting room,”… and he loves books and strategy games, just like you!”

“We’re similar because we enjoy the same types of books…?” Leo retorted, blatantly ignoring that whining comment.

“Not just that, but in how kind and loving you both are, especially alone…” Corrin took Leo’s hand as her cheeks started to flush, “It’s not easy to explain, but I think you two would have been great friends if things were different.”

“Heh, he’s a lucky guy.”

“S-sorry..!” Corrin let go of Leo’s hand, moving backwards. “It’s just… it’s very familiar.”

“I’m sure. It’s familiar for me as well. There are so many things I want to say and do, but I simply can’t any longer.” Leo’s expression was stoic as his words had little emotion behind them. Leo always knew how to mask his emotions, often coming off as cold.

“Leo…”

“Part of me does believe that you’re my Corrin, and that you will regain those memories.” He began as he walked towards her, “It’s too difficult not to consider that option but… I digress.” He took several strands of her long, white hair and lifted them to his nose, noting the sweet scent.

“I think I can understand why your Corrin loved you so much,” She smiled, “I think she’s the lucky one.” Leo released her hair, his cheeks turning a light red. “Oh! You should change!” Corrin said as she ran to the wardrobe, grabbing a shirt for Leo and tossing it at him. She turned her back to him, as to afford him a bit of privacy. Leo only smiled; her actions mimicked that of the Corrin he knew. She always doted on him, worried for his well-being, though that was no different from their time as children.

“It’s strange really….” Corrin said quietly as Leo changed behind her, “I should be sad that I watched him fall… and I am… but it’s different..”

“Different?”

“I know he wasn’t my Takumi. He couldn’t have been…. He was....Takumi would never try to hurt me…. ” She trailed off, remembering Kiragi’s deep blue hair and how deeply it stung whenever he called Oboro his Mother. Oboro and Takumi being a couple wouldn’t be a surprising endeavor; Corrin knew that Oboro had a long standing crush on Takumi though she never acted on it, instead electing to forego it once he began dating Corrin. She remembered Takumi falling off the wall, and the deep aura that had enveloped him. The aura was the same as the one she had seen the night before waking up in Nohr, and she was no closer to knowing what significance it had.

Night fell just as many exhausted soldiers returned to the encampment to prepare for the next day’s battle. Garon and his battalion had set up their own camp just outside the castle town with the goal of monitoring the situation, though he was still in luxury and very well protected. His elite soldiers were scattered among the other drones, casually patrolling the city, finding no souls. The air was eerie as it was entirely too calm, too quiet for the normally lively capital. Even the castle itself was dark, no lamplight shining through its many windows. The casualties from both sides still lie where they were slain, as the stench from the battle permeated the air.

Corrin tossed and turned continuously, her mind bursting with memories of the events of the day. She kept reflecting on Iago’s words, it was almost as if he insinuated that he knew she wasn’t the Corrin that belonged in this world. She detested speaking to him as he seemed to have a penchant for angering her or setting her up to fail. That much hadn’t changed between their worlds.

Dawn had barely broken by the time she left the bed, her anxiousness keeping her awake the majority of the night. She left the room only to hear the light clanging of pans and footsteps; she assumed that one of the maids was preparing breakfast. A messenger hastily entered the home as Corrin walked into the parlor.

"A messenger? Why are you here so early....?" Corrin asked.

"Lord Xander wishes to see Lord Leo immediately." He said rather forcefully.

"This early...?"

"It is a matter of urgency, Lady Corrin."

"I'll wake him then."

She headed for Leo’s bedroom only to find him sleeping peacefully on his stomach, his arms wrapped under his pillow. She reached down and lightly rocked his shoulder; he grunted slightly though he didn’t wake, instead burying his head further into his pillow. She attempted a different approach, placing one knee on the bed and rocking his shoulder with more force. He violently moved, pulling her down on the bed and laying his head on her shoulder with his arm spread across her torso. Corrin turned on her side, facing him, and in a last ditch effort she tugged on his hair. He awoke rather quickly, shooting Corrin a horrific look of disgust before softening upon realizing who he was facing, his expression turning rather solemn afterwards.

"This is rather cruel you know." Leo said, moving his arm and rustling his hair.

"You pulled me in here!" She exclaimed as Leo moved his hand to her face, resting his palm lightly on her cheek, causing them to flush.

"How many mornings did I wake to you staring at me this way?" He said quietly as he moved closer to her, staring deeply into her dark crimson eyes, "It's simply hypnotic."

"Th-there's a messenger here for you... says Xander needs you.." Corrin said, lightly grasping Leo's hand and removing it.

"This early?" Leo said, sitting up and stretching. Corrin followed suit, standing by the side of the bed.

"Heh, I said that too." She giggled, "He did say it was urgent though... so maybe you should hurry."

"Hmm.." He yawned, ruffling his hair once more, "Fine, fine. Tell him I'll be on my way then."

Corrin leaned on the bed and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, leaving Leo dumbfounded, "For luck," she whispered; a similar gesture Leo had done for her the day before.

The camp was bustling with movement and fervor in anticipation of the fierce and decisive battle to come, even at that time of morning. Soldiers littered the streets with their freshly sharpened weaponry, horses and wyverns were mounted, and rations and supplies were dished out. Leo quickly readied himself and left for Xander's calling, while Corrin sat alone in the parlor, watching the activity through the windows.

"Lady Corrin, I've brought the tea." Flora said, setting the cup daintily on the table before her.

"Thank you Flora, but I'm really not very thirsty."

"Are you hungry? Breakfast is almost ready."

"No... I'm fine." Corrin smiled as Flora pulled a small parchment out of her sleeve, handing it to Corrin and removing the teacup without a word. She quickly exited the room as Corrin stared at the paper, clearly of Hoshidan origin. She unwrapped the letter finding that its words were brief:

_"Come to Fort Jinya Prison."_

Corrin knew that Sakura and both of her retainers were there, though she was certain that none of them were particularly fond of her, not to mention Sakura was probably feeling traumatized from her experience the day prior. Though, she couldn't help but wonder who sent the parchment considering its peculiar writing and materials, and she momentarily entertained the thought that perhaps it was Sakura who was summoning her, though unlikely. Intrigued by the letter and its possibilities, she set off for Fort Jinya prison while the rest of the Nohrian army prepared for battle as Hoshidans started to appear immediately around Castle Shirasagi, Hinoka being among them.

Corrin arrived at Fort Jinya meeting no resistance; there were no soldiers to be found guarding anything, in fact the entire fortress seemed to be deserted. She went through the entrance to the prison wing and down a small flight of stairs to the cells. The cells that originally housed Hana and Subaki were empty, while Sakura's was very dimly lit.

"I'm amazed, Princess Corrin." Iago's surly, conniving voice echoed through the walls of the prison as Corrin averted her gaze to him. "I thought it would take much more coaxing to get you here."

"Iago...? Why are you here!?" She commanded.

"Perhaps you should be more concerned with Princess Sakura." He said, his lips forming a jagged smile as his tone was abundant in condescension.

She walked up to the bars of Sakura's cell when the door to the stairwell leading to the exit closed tightly, startling her, and the light in Sakura's cell brightened to illuminate her lifeless body laying on the cold stone floor. Corrin backed into the wall behind her, her hands to her mouth, eyes widened from shock.

"W-why... Sakura...!" She struggled to release her words, "Who... who did...."

"You did, Princess, can't you see?" He sneered. Sakura's body soon became consumed by the same malefic aura she had seen overcome Takumi so many times before. It spread outside the cell encompassing Corrin's feet. This was the first time in all the encounters she had with this substance that it had become tangible, and the feeling was of dread, worry, fear and pain. It pierced and burned. Next to Sakura's body lay the the Yato, covered in blood.

"N-no... no it wasn't......" Tears cascaded down her cheeks as she slowly turned her attention to Iago, who seemed unaffected by the miasma. "What did you do...! IAGO!" She shouted, consumed by rage, visibly shaking.

"Hmph, you know you are not of this world. The Corrin of this timeline was a nuisance and a constant interference who lived far longer than she should have," He taunted as he pulled out a replica of the Brynhildr, "I switched her consciousness with one that was far more malleable." The miasma emanating from Sakura's cell grew larger, and climbed up to Corrin's knees. She was finding it difficult to stand and breathe, her knees growing weak. She used the wall for balance as her breathing became labored.

"H-how... " Corrin coughed, "the.... B-bryn..." She covered her mouth as the miasma reached her waist.

"This is a carefully constructed replica, though I have the original as well." The miasma had increased in speed and intensity, enveloping her shoulders. It was binding; literally poisoning her as she no longer had the strength to move.

"This timeline will continue without you," He said slyly, "The little Princess Corrin murdered by her own husband in cold blood, how _tragic."_ Iago tossed the faux-Brynhildr at Corrin's feet as the tome unleashed a rogue spell which struck Corrin through the chest. The miasma seeped into her wounds as her blood splattered onto the tome, her body falling to the floor.

All was dark.

All was silent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit 5/19: Okay so, for the end of this chapter to make "pseudo-sense" you have to be somewhat familiar with Iago's role in the games, AND Ophelia/Soleil Supports. Ophelia switches minds with Soleil when she finds a spell in an ancient tome, and this plays off that a bit, except switching minds across worlds can be considered more taboo. 
> 
> Parallel plays off what the Rainbow Sage says in the Royale DLC that there are multiple Corrin's in multiple worlds (multiple worlds is referenced all throughout the game actually but specifically in DLC stages). We know that Iago is a sneaky little rat who tries his hardest to make Corrin suffer because those are Garon's orders (suffer, don't kill). He also has the ability to manipulate and control the weakest minds, hence Takumi in all three routes. In what I like to call "his one plan that actually works until it still doesn't because Corrin is Corrin," he successfully leads Corrin (who is fairly gullible I mean come on Conquest opera house anyone), to the prison where he frames Leo for her death to absolve himself of blame in their route, thereby not directly disobeying Garon. All of this because he still couldn't fully manipulate her, and Nohr!Corrin (following the actual game story here) was playing the part of the perfect little Princess at this point trying to get Garon on that throne. 
> 
> Since Iago can manipulate minds and exploit weaknesses, reflect back on chapter one when Corrin is unsure of herself after missing during training with Takumi. His powers sort of "fed" on that self-loathing until it manifested into her seeing Conquest!Takumi in her Birthright world, and the nightmares she had sort of created a "gateway" for the consciousness to switch. Long story short, yes there is a Nohr!Corrin, and now she no longer has a body to go back to. 
> 
> As for Sakura's death; Couldn't leave witnesses. Hana and Subaki not being in the prison, well... you can speculate what happened there. 
> 
> .... I promise I love Leo ;___; I've hurt that poor child so much in this story


	8. Familiarity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back in Hoshido with a Faux-Corrin, an unhappy husband, and a popular festival.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! Finals...  
> we're back in Hoshido with some cutesy father/kid bonding! Go into this thinking that we've gone a wee bit back in time and are building up to the end of the week. This entire story has taken place over exactly one week.

"Hey."

Corrin sat at the piano in one of the larger rooms, her fingers gracing random keys. "So you're actually talking to me now?" She said coyly as she randomly pressed lightly on one of the keys. Corrin had been trained on the piano since her arrival in Nohr, something that appeared to transcend timelines. All of the Nohrian royal children were required to learn an instrument in order to make them more cultured, among other activities and lessons.

"What's with the attitude?"

"Just surprised is all, you've been avoiding me for days." Takumi walked over to her, sitting beside her on the bench.

"I still don't really understand this."

"I wouldn't expect you to. It's difficult for me to fully grasp and I knew it was happening."

"Why didn't you stop it then?" Takumi asked, his tone rather fierce.

"I didn't know such a technique existed until Iago used it," Corrin sighed.

"That guy wouldn't do anything to her, right?"

"That guy?"

"You know who I'm talking about." He said sternly.

"Leo? He's more honorable than that. As long as your Corrin told him the problem I'm sure he would react just like a perfect gentleman." She was correct in her statement that Leo wouldn't do anything to knowingly harm Corrin or make her uncomfortable, no matter what form she had. In contrast, Takumi had been avoiding this Corrin since she told him of their switch. At first he refused to believe her words, hurt that she would say such cold, terrible things. It took time for him to warm up to her after quelling his own anger.

Leo and Takumi were different people though they had many similarities. In many ways they felt inadequate because of their positions in their respective families, and marrying the bright, vibrant Corrin gave them purpose and a love they thought they would never have. When the Corrin who chose Hoshido woke up in Leo's bed, the Corrin who chose Nohr awoke in Takumi's. Both had switched consciousnesses in a plot executed by the Iago of Nohr.

"I don't want him acting any way with her!" He shouted.

"Hehe, you're rather cute, I can see why your Corrin liked you." She flashed a quick, flirtatious smile.

"NO! Don't you start flirting with me!" Takumi jumped up from the bench, moving back a few feet. His cheeks were a light but noticeable pink.

"I guess your Corrin doesn't tease you much?" She laughed.

"That's personal." He pouted and crossed his arms.

"I used to tease Leo too. I guess it's a trait we share," She sighed, "its nice being on this end too... I mean, it's nice to know you're .." Corrin trailed off, looking at the keys.

"What is it?"

"Well in my world you were hell bent on killing me. You followed us everywhere, shouting that I was a traitor and... it just consumed you. It's really pleasing to know you're actually a nice guy, if not a little scruffy." She smiled softly, looking up at him. "I just wish this you were in my world too."

"Would she see me like that?" His mouth formed a slight grimace as Corrin's expression turned more solemn.

"I don't think she could avoid it to be honest."

The day passed uneventfully, filled with Takumi and Corrin all but avoiding each other. Since the switch they stayed in separate rooms, though they played dutiful parents to Takumi's sons, Kiragi and Kana. Corrin had elected not to tell the boys of the switch, as to save them from any sort of sadness or confusion. Kana would take it especially hard as he was very attached to her. The night was calm, if not soothing, as the Hoshidan army had become stagnant. The atmosphere in the encampment was much different than that of Nohr as well, as it wasn't filled with anxiousness or fear of retribution for missteps. The Hoshidans were as wonderfully pure as the sun that shone in their country, another contrast to Nohr. While Corrin's motives in her world were aimed at the betterment for both countries, she couldn't help but feel that this experience was compounding the problem. In her very short time in Hoshido, she had grown rather fond of the people she would now interact with daily. Hoshido had always been painted as his horrific country that hoarded its resources from Nohr when in reality both countries were vastly misunderstood by the other.

“Paaaapa!” Kana exclaimed, pushing open the bedroom door, “Papa, come on it’s time to go!”

“Kanamphf…” Takumi mumbled,“ Time..?” He asked wearily as he slowly opened his eyes.

“You were going to take us hunting today!” Kana beamed as he tugged on the blanket. Takumi sat up on the bed putting a palm to his face. He hadn’t slept long or well; nightmares were common occurrences since he was a child and they often picked up frequency during times of stress or trauma. Since Mikoto's death the nightmares jumped in intensity, though lately they had been filled with uncertainty regarding Corrin.

“Kana?” Kiragi asked, entering the room, “Oh dad, you don’t look good.” He frowned.

“I’m alright, you two go pack.” Takumi motioned them out of the room as Kana grabbed Kiragi’s wrist, dragging them out the door. Takumi lifted his knees and laid his forehead against them, his arms loosely gripping his legs.

These nightmares were horrific, often violent in nature and repetitive. He often awoke irritable as a result, though he hid his pain and hid it well. If anything, he was used to them, but it didn’t make them enjoyable to experience. Takumi was a very complex individual, filled with various layers who only the truly devoted could unravel.

He climbed out of the bed and began readying himself for the day; Kiragi was showing Kana how to properly pack a bag for their hunting trip, as this was Kana’s first one. Kana had always wanted to learn how to shoot a bow and arrow like his Father and Brother, but he excelled in swordsmanship like his Mother.

“Why are you packing that bag like that?” Dwyer asked as he walked up to the pair holding a tray of freshly baked tea biscuits. Kana happily helped himself to them.

“For the trip?” Kiragi retorted; Dwyer had taken it upon himself to be their butler as his Father, Jakob, was the butler to Corrin and by extension, Takumi.

“The larger non-essential stuff should go on the bottom… and why do you have four different knives?!”

“Hey you never know what you’re going to be facing out there!” Kiragi said as he grabbed one of the biscuits.

“Surely you don’t need all of these.”

“We do.”

“Take out two.”

“Why?”

“Take out two of them. Each of you can have one.”

“But..”

“Don’t argue with me.” Dwyer said sternly, moving the tea biscuits out of Kana’s reach. He had consumed almost half the tray. “I can’t shape you into a respectable Prince if you keep doing silly things like this.”

“FINE.” Kiragi glared at Dwyer as he two out two of the smaller knives and placed them in a box.

“Put them away properly.” He scolded. Kiragi did so, returning the box to a nearby shelf before sitting down in front of the bag, pouting.

“You’re not criticizing Kana for packing snacks!”

“The only thing he’s guilty of is spoiling his breakfast.”

Takumi walked into the room and took a tea biscuit form Dwyer's tray. Kiragi's bag was rather large considering he also had two full quivers and a bow to carry. Kiragi and Kana got along exceedingly well, as Kiragi was full of boundless optimism and brightness, while Kana was sweet if not a tad naive. Takumi often thought he didn't deserve such wonderful children given his own insecurities.

"Are you two ready?"

"Ready Papa!" Kana beamed, "Yep!" Kiragi smiled.

“We’ll need to get you a practice bow too, Kana.”

The trio left the home in the early hours of the morning; most of Echo had yet to awaken though there were rustles of a few soldiers throughout the camp. They grabbed a lightweight practice bow from the armory before heading into the forest just outside of the encampment, Kiragi and Kana laughing and chatting the entire way. Takumi enjoyed spending time with his sons, as they were cherished by him wholly; all in all he was an excellent father to them, and they adored him as well.

“Okay, now pull the string back, watch the tension…” Takumi guided Kana as he gradually pulled back the string, it bent the bow itself slightly, and the arrow would slide out of Kana’s fingers. He tried again and again, pulling further on the string each time, “Not that far back, you’ll break it.” Takumi warned, just as the string snapped, whipping Kana across the brow leaving a small cut.

“Ow!” Kana cringed as he dropped the bow, putting his hand to his head.

“Here, it’s not that bad.” Takumi pulled out a bandage and some healing salve from the bag and knelt before Kana as he removed his glove. Kana lowered his arm as Takumi applied the salve and the small bandage to the cut, which thankfully wasn’t deep.

“I’m no good at this Papa.” Kana pouted.

“You just need practice. You’ll get it.” He picked up the bow by Kana’s feet, “Let’s try again?”

“But I broke it!”

“Let me show you how to fix it, it’s not hard.”

Elsewhere, Kiragi was scouting for game, lightly humming to himself. He had spectacular eyesight and was an incredibly skilled hunter for his young age. Many would consider him a prodigy, while others say he inherited the natural abilities of his Father. In addition, he had a sunny disposition and was generally well liked. Takumi had successfully shown Kana how to replace the bowstring and adjust the tension, and it would take at least seven additional tries before Kana would successfully shoot an arrow more than two feet. It was highly reminiscent of when Takumi first trained Corrin, though she was a bit more skilled than Kana.

Back at home, Corrin was enjoying tea served to her by Jakob. He and Felicia were close by as she took several sips, speaking not a word or giving them a glance. Time seemed to pass slowly when the army wasn’t marching, though the people in the encampment welcomed the downtime. Corrin was finding herself feeling increasingly anxious as the hours wore on. The people themselves were perfectly lovely, and she entertained the notion that this normalcy was welcoming. At the same time however, it made her uneasy. She was getting to know the very people she had slaughtered in her world, and remorse became a constant companion. Seeing Sakura and Scarlet was especially difficult given what she had done to them.

“Umm… Lady Corrin, are you hungry? I can make you a snack…” Felicia asked quietly. Corrin was distracted by her thoughts, holding the empty tea cup for several seconds before setting it back on the saucer.

“Lady Corrin…?”

“Hm?” Corrin’s response was short and shallow as Jakob picked up the cup.

“Are you hungry?” She asked again.

“No, thank you.”

“O-oh okay..” Felicia took the cup from Jakob before exiting to the kitchen.

“Milady, are you unwell?” Jakob asked her, Corrin’s eyes were drawn to the floor. When she didn’t answer his message, he immediately removed his glove, pulled up his long sleeves and put his hand to her forehead, startling her.

“J-Jakob!?” She shouted, her cheeks red.

“Forgive the intrusion Milady, but you’ve been acting strangely for days,” He said as he removed his hand. “You don’t feel warm, thankfully.”

“I’m fine!”

“You know you can tell me anything that’s bothering you and I’ll happily listen.” He assured, fixing his sleeve after reaffixing the glove.

“I’m aware.” Corrin nonchalantly put her elbow on the arm of the chair, resting her chin in her palm. She averted her gaze to a nearby window where she could see Hoshidans conversing and laughing below.

“Perhaps the festival will cheer you up. We do need to prepare your outfit for it.” Jakob folded his arms, resting his fingers on his chin.

“Festival?” She asked.

“It’s a traditional Hoshidan festival.”

“Is it appropriate to have a festival in the middle of a war?”

“Well the army hasn’t dispatched in several days. Lord Ryoma is probably considering it a morale boosting experience.” Jakob moved both hands behind his back, “Besides, they’ve had this festival every year since we’ve been on the move.”

“Must have slipped my mind.” Corrin grinned slyly as the loud clanging of pans could be heard.

“Honestly…” Jakob sighed, “I’ll help Felicia prepare dinner. Excuse me.” He bowed as he left the room, entering the kitchen which was absolutely disastrous. Various pots and pans were strewn about the floor, eggs and flour decorated the counter, and Felicia sat in the corner upset with her misfortune and clumsiness.

“Felicia, are you trying to dent every pot we have!?” He hastily picked up several of the pans, placing them on a nearby table.

“No..” She said quietly as she stood and picked up a cloth, running it over the counter to pick up the flour. In doing so, she tripped over her own shoe, knocking over a crate with several tomatoes. They crashed to the floor, several bursting.

“Impressive skill.” Jakob sighed, “Only you could assault vegetables in such a manner.”

“I-I’m sorry…” She sat on her knees, covered in tomato juice and pulp.

“Leave dinner to me. Go stand somewhere out of the way.” He picked up the crate, salvaging many of the tomatoes as Felicia left the room, very visibly upset. She passed by Corrin on her way to the wash room.

“Felicia, what happened? What is this… stuff?” Corrin said, walking over to her.

“Tomatoes….”

“Heheh…” Corrin laughed, “He would be so upset!”

“He?” Felicia asked, very perplexed by Corrin’s sudden outburst.

“Oh nothing, nothing…! It’s just,” She said between laughs, “Leo loved tomatoes.”

“He did, didn’t he?” Felicia smiled, happily remembering their time in the Northern Tower when Leo would frequently visit Corrin. “He would be really upset then!”

“Would you like help Felicia?” Corrin smiled.

“You don’t have to trouble yourself with me Lady Corrin!”

“No no I want to help, here let’s get you cleaned up, okay?” Corrin led Felicia to the wash room. Jakob could be heard preparing dinner as Dwyer entered the home and began assisting Jakob, the two in an intense competition to best the other.

Takumi returned home only briefly, saying not a word to Corrin as he left as quickly as he had returned. Kiragi and Kana happily had dinner with Corrin, neither seemed very concerned over Takumi’s absence, almost as if they expected it. They spent the evening playing games and chatting as Corrin watched. Dwyer would argue with Kiragi about princely matters if he was conducting himself in a specific manner, something that had been going on since both returned from their respective deeprealms. Both Kiragi and Kana were Princes of Hoshido, though neither would most likely become King due to their elder cousin Shiro being the son of the High Prince Ryoma. Despite being royalty, neither wanted preferential treatment or the expectations or responsibilities that came with the title. Kiragi just enjoyed hunting, and Kana enjoyed being a dragon. It was as simple as that, though not everything can be so black and white.

Jakob, Dwyer and Felicia would eventually leave the home, having been asked to assist with festival preparations. Through the window Corrin could see a bustle of activity; signs, streamers, tents, lights, all of varying colors and styles being carried toward a nearby town. It was clear that the festival had a large impact on Echo’s citizens, as this was the happiest she had seen them in the last several days. Takumi didn’t return to the home until well after Kiragi and Kana had went to bed, and even then he said very little to Corrin, though she was pleased he at least acknowledged her this time. Any progress was considered positive.

The following morning would start differently compared to her experiences thus far. Jakob and Dwyer were absent, and Takumi had left well before any of them woke. Corrin staggered out of her bedroom, her long white hair disheveled from a rough night of unpleasant dreams, a trait she had been sharing with Takumi the last week. She headed toward the parlor, noticing how dark the home was before seeing Kiragi at the door, pulling on his boots.

“Kiragi… where are you going so early?” Corrin asked.

“To the mess hall for breakfast.” He said as he finished getting ready.

“Aren’t Dwyer and Jakob…”

“We always eat at the mess hall on festival days, don’t you remember? Don’t worry I’ll be back to change! Bye mom!” He waved as he left, nearly bumping into Felicia as he opened the door.

“Bye….” She waved, perplexed.

“Oh Lady Corrin, your hair…!” Felicia said, walking in the door, “I came to help dress you for the festival, are you ready?”

“This early?”

“Well yes, you want to be there for the opening ceremony, don’t you?”

“Y-yes… sure, let’s go.” Corrin walked back to her room, lightly staggering along the way. Felicia took notice, though assumed it was due to exhaustion. Corrin looked rather rough. She sat in front of the vanity as Felicia took the brush and smoothed out Corrin’s hair. Corrin was noticeably distracted, fidgeting with her hands.

“So how should I do your hair this time? Up, maybe?” She smiled. Corrin neglected to answer, instead she seemed to be pinching her fingers.

_It’s delayed…._

“Lady Corrin?” Felicia reached down, touching Corrin’s hand and jolting her back into reality.

“I’m sorry, what did you ask?” She said quickly.

“How would you like your hair styled this time… and are you.. okay?” Felicia’s voice showed concern; she was clearly worried about Corrin.

“I’m alright, style it however you like.” Corrin smiled softly at Felicia, her reflection in the mirror. Felicia dutifully did so, styling her hair up with many waves and curls, all adorned by a bright red flower which greatly accented Corrin’s crimson eyes.

“Do you… like these kinds of festivals?” Corrin asked Felicia as they stood, Felicia heading to the wardrobe.

“Oh yes! All the street food is so different and delicious! Everyone always seems so happy too.” She pulled out a long piece of fabric from the wardrobe before bringing it back to Corrin. It was soft and colorful, a beautifully deep red and white with pinks mixed in. The quality of the fabric reminded her fondly of Forrest and how she used to be a mannequin for his many projects. Kana entered the room, his hair adorably disheveled as he yawned widely.

“Mama..?” He said groggily.

“Good morning Kana, go get some breakfast at the mess hall. Kiragi is already there.”

“Oh.. okay, I’ll go there then.” He yawned as he turned toward the door.

“Brush your hair first, okay?” Corrin smiled as Kana went back down the hall. The Kana of this world was so similar to hers that Corrin had no objections or qualms to regarding him so fondly. She couldn’t help but wonder if the other Corrin regarded her Kana as such as well. Later in the morning, Kiragi and Kana returned home and quickly dressed for the festival, leaving the home with Corrin and Felicia. The opening ceremony was very short due to the anxiousness of the children wanting to get to the various stalls. Even Kiragi and Kana disappeared in the crowd finding their friends and leaving Corrin alone, Felicia herself eventually leaving as well.

The festival was exciting and full of vibrancy, stalls lined the streets, and everyone was in costume or dressed exceedingly well in traditional garb. The scent of various foods permeated the air as laughter could be heard all around her from the games being played and the couples and families walking around. All in all it was an absolutely lovely event, and Corrin stood solo near a fountain, surrounded by walking patrons, many of which she recognized from camp. She was uncomfortable as she had never worn this type of attire before, despite Nohrian clothing being far more binding.

_It’s so… busy._

Corrin sampled a few stalls as it was well past breakfast and lunch, mindlessly snacking on whatever she could find despite it not being quite to her taste. Hoshidan food was vastly different than Nohrian, and every stall was different, many even claiming to have “Nohrian influenced snacks,” when they were cheap imitations that would only pale in comparison to the originals. She eventually made her way down a sparsely populated side alley filled with fortune telling and other games before venturing completely out of the path of the festival, thankful for the quiet moment.

_Still numb…_

“Hey.” Takumi said, grabbing her shoulder. She jolted and quickly turned to face him, startled. He was dressed rather handsomely; his long hair lay against his back instead of bounded. Behind them, festival workers were lighting lanterns that hung in strings above them.

“Can’t speak?” He asked.

“H-hi…” She stammered.

“Do you want to go play a game or something?” He asked, his cheeks flushed as he refused to meet her gaze.

“You’re… asking me?” She smiled softly, “Sure, I’d love to.”

Takumi nodded as he turned his back to her, she tripped and crashed into his back, gripping his shoulders to steady herself.

“You okay?” He asked as she pulled herself up.

“Y-yeah I’m fine. Sorry about that.”

_Again?..._

The pair returned to the main area of the festival, playing many games together. He was feeling much more comfortable around her though she still had a strong air of hesitation. They laughed together; she was taken aback by his sweet, gentle smile and the sincerity in his eyes. This was the kindest he had been to her in the last week, though it was bittersweet, given what she knew about his existence in her world. The sun was quickly setting as they made their way back to the fountain before Corrin tripped again, this time landing on her knees. Takumi knelt down in front of her, holding out his hand. She hesitated in taking it.

“What’s going on?” He asked.

"I'm not sure." Corrin replied, putting a palm to her forehead. "I feel a great.. dread."

"Dread?" He helped her up only to notice she couldn't properly stand on her own, her legs appeared to be weakened. He helped her to the fountain where she sat on the ledge, he sitting beside her.

"It's odd... It's like I'm losing control of her limbs. There's a delay when I try to do anything, and a weakness, like... I don't feel like the legs are attached any longer."

"Wait, her?" He raised a brow.

"This is still her body."

"What does it mean then?"

"I don't... ....... kn--............ .. ."

_What is this... I can't speak..?_

_............._

_..........._

_I can't hear...._

"Corrin!" Takumi shouted, catching her as she blacked out, her body limp.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In contrast to Hoshido!Corrin, Nohr!Corrin knew that Iago was casting the spell that switched them but had no ability to stop it. 
> 
> More info about the spell/tome too... if you read Ophelia's supports with Soleil, Ophelia uses a switching spell to change places with Soleil which she says she "found in an ancient grimoire." Technically this is an extension of that. The spell could easily be considered taboo since it's literally dragging people across worlds. I'll elaborate more in later chapters.


	9. Cathartic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whether near or far, I am always yours

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This song influenced this chapter a LOT, and it was very difficult to write. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMXQ_Gh8S-E

“If it is your intention to break my feet before the wedding, you’re certainly succeeding.”

“Sorry! I'm not as good at this as you are.”

“Here,” Leo outstretched his hand as Corrin took it; the ballroom was grand and opulent, and filled with dark accents indicative of Nohr. Corrin was wearing a rather form fitting gown, its skirt was full and twirled easily as it hung just above her ankles. It was rare for her to wear shoes and her awkwardness with them showed as she had trouble adjusting to their feel. Leo placed her hand on his shoulder as he pulled her in closer and put a hand on her waist, the other cupping her hand.

“It’s not difficult, all you do is step this way…” He gently pushed on her waist to move her body slightly, “Then this way.” He pushed again, squeezing her hand in his.

“So we just move in a circle?”

“Essentially. I’ll have to teach you more advanced techniques once you’ve mastered the basics.”

“Advanced techniques….?”

“Like this.” He pulled her closer and dipped her quickly. In her shock, she grappled tightly onto the sleeve of his shirt, her eyes widening in her panic. He laughed slightly as he lifted her up, both were certain her fingernails had made a firm indent into his shoulder.

“Maybe you’re not so ready for that yet.” He smirked, giving her forehead a quick kiss.

“Just warn me next time!” She pouted, smoothing out his vest where it met his shirt.

“Heh, how about we just practice the basics then.” They spun around the ballroom multiple times, Corrin unfortunately tripping over her own feet, and at other times, stepping on Leo’s. Graceful was a word not often used on her.

“Just follow my lead. If you get ahead of yourself you’ll trip, or cause more injuries.” During one of the turns, he released her waist and held her hand up high, causing her to spin. The slick soles on the shoes certainly made it easier, but also tricky to balance herself. Her dress spun, its gray color complimenting her long, white hair.

“You’re doing… well, better,” Leo smiled as he lowered their hands, still holding hers.

“I’m nervous about doing this in front of so many people… what if I mess up? Or hurt you?”

“Well I guess we’ll get to bandage each other that night then, won’t we?” He smirked as her cheeks instantly flushed.

"L-Leo!" She shouted as he laughed.

"Ready to go again?"

Corrin noticed the tops of the stone pillars around them were cracking as one by one pieces fell to the floor, making no noise, only dissolving into sand. The floor beneath their feet cracked and trembled as ornaments on the walls and decorations plastered around the room toppled over and dissolved, none of them making a sound. In fact, the only noises she had heard were their speaking, not the sounds their shoes should have made on the stone floor, or any music, if there was any. Corrin could no longer feel his touch despite the fact that he was holding firmly onto her hand. It faded away over the course of the dance and as pieces of their surroundings dissolved, so did he, completely vanishing before her eyes until she was standing in complete darkness.

"If we do this we can never go back, you know that right?"

Startled, she turned around finding herself in what could be considered the Nohrian bedroom, though it lacked the vast collection of tomes Leo harbored and the room was generally brighter. Looking down she noticed her attire had changed back to her regular armor from her days in the Northern Tower, and she was moving and speaking involuntarily, as if acting out a scene.

"You make it sound like a contract. Not romantic at all!" Corrin shouted.

"Romantic?"

"A first kiss is supposed to be romantic, not so... serious." She pouted.

"Hm..." He pulled her close, wrapping his arm around the small of her back as he lifted her chin to meet his gaze, hovering over her quivering lips as he stared into her eyes.

"How's this?" He whispered as she remained silent, her breathing becoming more labored as she gripped at his sleeves.

"No answer?" He smirked.

"What are you waiting for..."

"It's amazing.... I never imagined being with you like this. Now here we are, in a situation I've only dreamed of, that I've only rehearsed a thousand times, and yet I'm so scared I don't know how to proceed." He said quietly, his eyes softening.

She moved up slightly, closing her eyes and giving him a brief, tender kiss which jolted him back slightly from the onset. After opening her eyes, Corrin was once again, completely alone and surrounded by a palpable darkness. The emotions and feelings she was experiencing were fleeting, giving her just a glimpse of what they were intended to be.

"Hm, Corrin," Leo said, once again startling her as she quickly turned, finding herself in the middle of an open battlefield, again no noises could be heard but the sounds of their own voices despite soldiers in the distance with steel weapons. It was raining, though she couldn't feel it as it hit her face, or hear it as it bounced off the Yato. Her attire once again changed to that of the dark Nohrian influenced armor she had worn briefly.

"Why were you being so reckless?" He asked sternly.

"Reckless? I saved his life!" Corrin's words were fierce, commanding.

"You were wide open for that attack," Leo argued.

"I knew you were there and would stop it, and we saved a valuable soldier in the process. This is a good thing!"

"Corrin..." He sighed as he walked over to her, took her in his arms and held her tightly. She dropped the Yato on the ground; it made no sound.

 "I've only asked one thing of you in all of these battles..." He began, "Please... don't die." He choked, "I can't.. lose you."

"Leo...I'm sorry, I'll be more careful."

"Heh, you always say that too, every time we do this." He let go as she quickly kissed him on the cheek.

"For luck." She smiled as this too, dissolved into sand.

One by one she experienced more scenes, each more brief than the last. After a short while the scenes stopped taking a physical shape, only translating into dense figures made of sand which became progressively lighter, and the words spoken more faint and inaudible. The sand particles flew by her, each more dim than the last until they completely faded away. Her eyes became heavy; her heart was shattered as she stood in silence.

 “S-she looks so peaceful…” Sakura said quietly, moving the back of her hand to Corrin’s cheek; it was warm, as Corrin took light breaths. “Are you.. o-okay?” She asked Takumi as he stood silently at the end of the bed, his eyes distant.

“Brother..” She lightly tapped his arm.

“I’m fine.” He was short, clearly unraveling at the seams. He had been so distant with Corrin the week before, and once he finally warmed up to her, she collapsed. He felt horrible for his decision, feeling somewhat responsible for her condition though it was in no way his fault.

“Oh.. okay… I’ll come back for another session in the morning..” She grabbed her healing staff before heading toward the door, “Please eat something… you know she’d be upset if she found out that.. you weren’t taking care of yourself..” After Sakura exited, Takumi spent several minutes just watching her breathing, noting how she looked as if she was only sleeping. He walked over to the side of the bed, sat on his knees on the floor and anchored himself by placing his elbows on the bedspread, his chin resting on his wrist. He reached out and lightly grasped her hand, its softness reminiscent as he slowly drifted into slumber. How many times had he held that hand before? The feeling it gave him never once changed, in fact it made his feelings for her grow ever deeper.

Several hours later Corrin slowly opened her eyes releasing a stream of tears that cascaded onto the pillow beneath her head. She lifted her arm to her face, concealing her eyes with the back of her hand and wrist while her face held a grimace.

_I think I understand now...._

_Those were your memories, weren't they?..._

_Gods..._

She gripped at the blanket with the hand Takumi was holding, causing it to slide off hers. Feeling it startled her; she removed her arm from her face and rose, seeing him sleeping soundly off the side of the bed. She had successfully returned to Hoshido, though the journey was long and arduous and filled with pain and anguish. She had seen firsthand so much death and destruction the last week, so much confusion and despair that it shook her very core.

She reached over and pat his hair, gently nudging him to no response. She wiped her cheeks and left the bed, moving over to his side before sitting on her knees as close to him as she could. She gently nudged his shoulder, and when that didn't wake him, she wrapped her arms around his chest and tickled his sides. He awoke almost instantly, squirming from her touch. He quickly turned to her, his eyes widening.

“Corr----“ She lifted a finger to his lips before wrapping her arms around him again, resting her head on his chest. She wept as she listened to his heartbeat.

A few days had passed and everything was as it always had been. The war was still active, meetings scheduled though nothing concrete as to a next plan of attack had come to fruition. Corrin latched onto Kiragi especially closely and he was happy for the attention, as they focused on his studies and planned several special events together with Kana. Corrin would spend extra time with Sakura as well, remembering her fate in the other world. She was just as shy and awkward as she remembered. Through it all, the memories she now had of her time in that world were strong, as she felt deeply connected to them. It was bittersweet and it changed her perspective.

Corrin went to the training range where she found Takumi, watching him as he practiced. It was almost as if nothing had changed between them; he knew she was his Corrin though he still felt guilt over how he treated her when they switched, given that she had perished in the other world. In turn she was still attempting to make sense of everything she had experienced, though overall thankful to be back in her own world. There was a sense of awkwardness about them that was reminiscent of when they were first dating.

“May I try? There’s something I want to test.”

“Huh.. oh sure,” He handed her the bow and arrow as she got into position, taking a deep breath before releasing the string, immediately landing a bullseye.

“That’s… a lot better than before.” He said, referencing their experience before the switch.

“I thought it would be…” She said solemnly as she returned the bow to him.

“Corrin, I –“

“I love you.” She quickly interrupted, flashing him a soft, sweet smile. It was the most content she looked since her return, and it gave Takumi an immediate sense of relief.

“W-where did that come from?” He stumbled in his words as she walked over to him.

“Why don’t we spend the evening together? Just us.”  

“If that’s what you want, then sure.” He smiled, tossing the bow aside and pulling her in close for a quick, tender kiss. He embraced her tightly, feeling the softness of her hair and relishing in its familiar, sweet scent.

“I love you, too.”

Several months later as snow littered the ground, Corrin visited a small glade outside the encampment, where sunlight was rich and plentiful and few people treaded. Within it rested a large rock, which she designated as a memorial to the other Corrin, though only Takumi knew its purpose. Around it were several dormant rose bushes. Hoshido had successfully toppled Garon and Nohr by this time, Leo and Camilla the sole survivors of its royal family. The new alliance between their countries was beneficial; it meant Hoshido would assist Nohr with sort of supplies it needed, and in turn, Leo was crowned King and assured that diplomatic relations between the two nations never deteriorated. He was a young King, but exceedingly fair and would lead his people to prosperity.

_I know I say it every time I come here but…_

_I’m very sorry for what happened to you…_

_Your life with Leo was beautiful. You loved each other so very, very much…_

“Hey,” Takumi said walking up to her, “I thought I’d find you here.”

“Heh, you know me well.” She smiled, “The snow looks lovely on the stems, doesn’t it?”

“Did you remember that Leo was visiting today?” He asked as she was distracted.

“Yes, I remembered. I’m glad we can have a relationship like this.” She took Takumi’s hand, lacing their fingers, “The two of you spend a lot of time together when he visits.”

“N-Not by choice…” He stammered; Ryoma had chosen him as an ambassador to Nohr.

“Are you sure? You both talk for hours about books if you’re not playing games!” She laughed as his cheeks flushed.

“We do not!!” He retorted, pulling away from her hand and crossing his arms in a huff.

“You’re so cute when you pout,” Corrin giggled.

“I am not pouting.” He said lowly as she walked up beside him, wrapping her hands around his forearm and laying her head against his shoulder as she looked at the marker.

“I bet he’ll bring a new book today.”

“I hope so,” He formed a small smile.

Many define fate as the inevitable, a consequence of actions that is not always enviable. Fate can be as cruel as it is liberating, its twists and turns unexpected, exciting and at times, excruciating. Memories can be just as cruel as fate itself, as they're etched into our hearts, causing great grief, but also great joy. Memories are the experiences that define our very souls.

_I’ll cherish those memories, forever._

_And I’ll never forget you._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This entire fic has just changed considerably from what I originally wrote all those weeks ago. I would take elements from the original story and "add on" to it, but it deviated from that around chapter 3. In the original, this entire thing was an elaborate dream. In another draft I had, it was going to be readers choice between Leo or Takumi, but that never panned out. 
> 
> This chapter also had a lot of subtle call backs to earlier chapters and events. Basically there's a ton of symbolism in this which ties the two worlds together, and the whole "Parallel Worlds" concept. The "We can never go back" line is a subtle reference to their having been raised as siblings. 
> 
> There's one more chapter, and it's the "reveal everything" chapter. Chapter 10 is the official ending of Parallel and it takes us back to Nohr, and Leo and how the crew deals with Corrin's death AND the "investigation" into it. Currently that chapter is sitting pretty at 6.5k words... it's gonna be a long one. In that chapter you do learn how Iago did all of this, but there's a lot of heartache getting there.


	10. Consequences and Victims of Fate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garon conquers Hoshido as Iago launches an investigation into Corrin's death, having framed Leo for it when he was the one responsible. Odin and Niles dig up clues to exonerate their liege, in what is essentially a story in itself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OH MY GOODNESS THIS CAME OUT TO SO MANY WORDS  
> So uhm, LOTS of stuff going on in this finale chapter of Parallel. You finally learn how Iago accidentally discovered the parallel worlds concept and developed the magic that switched the Corrins through a ton of exposition. There's lots of action, FIRE, lots of puns, and I basically turned Niles into Velma and Odin into Scooby for awhile. It drifts FAR off the Conquest path but you gotta think - there's no Corrin here to direct anything anymore, so Garon's allowed to do whatever he damn well pleases without any sort of intervention. It's also the first formal introduction of Elise, Kagero and Shiro.
> 
>  
> 
> Enjoy! @_@

"Tell me everything."

"Xander do you really.." Leo huffed, his breathing more labored as he tugged on the chains that bound his wrists together, "... do you think that I could ever...! I would NEVER!" He shouted, visibly trembling from behind the steel bars which separated them.

"I want to believe you," Xander sighed, "But she's still dead, and you are the only connection we have."

"Are you hearing yourself Brother!? This is ludicrous!" The bands prevented him from casting any sort of magic and offered very little movement, making him unable to reach the bars of his cell. "Release me this instant!"

"I can't do that, Leo."

"Do you believe I would ever commit such an atrocious act?" Leo stared at Xander with an intense ferocity, the normally well composed prince loosing himself in his rage, "Well!? Do you!?"

"Leo... I don't know what to think right now. We did just lose a sister after all."

"Damnit Xander!" He jolted as he tugged on the chains, their unforgiving nature stopping him in his tracks, only adding to the fury he felt deep in his very soul. "My wife is gone... can you even fathom what that's like?" Leo said quietly, vaguely referencing the fact that his Corrin had been switched with another. Xander's eyes narrowed as he remained silent, aware that Leo wasn't speaking rationally.

Leo moved over to a nearby wall, leaning against it and hanging his head. Xander could only see Leo's mouth form an intense grimace as several tears rolled down his cheeks and under his chin. He knew that Leo was in intense and unbearable pain; not only had he lost Corrin the week prior, but her body was found with the Brynhildr, and it all began that morning when Leo left the home at the behest of a messenger.

“This way, Lord Leo, Lord Xander is in this tent.” The messenger led a very groggy Leo to a free standing tent near the armory, a common place for private war meetings. The messenger bowed before leaving Leo who entered the tent to find it dark and completely empty.

“No one’s here?” Leo grunted his disapproval before leaving the tent, the encampment bustling with activity as the remaining soldiers had been called to mobilize for an all out attack on the Hoshidan capital. Garon had ordered the battle to begin using his own elite guard and was closing in on the large, statuesque castle; the soldiers from Echo intending to be reinforcements. Odin and Niles were standing nearby at an outpost, as Niles was grabbing arrows to refill his quiver.

“Lord Leo!” Odin shouted, motioning him over, “The time for glorious battle has begun! Are you trembling with excitement? With ambition and passion? Preparing for a glorious display of might and magic perpetuating from the deepest abyss of your very soul?”

“When did they give the order to move out?” Leo asked quickly.

“A few moments ago, Milord.” Niles said as he slid the refilled quiver over his shoulder and moved beside Odin; his theatrics largely ignored as he purposefully twitched his hand.

“I need to get Brynhildr then..”

“You left such a splendid tome of might and fury alone!?” Odin bemoaned, Leo only giving him a blank stare.

“It’s safe at home.” Leo headed back towards the house leaving Odin and Niles at the outpost. Flora passed him without so much as a glance as she headed toward the mobilized units. Leo went straight to his room to where he normally kept the tome, only to discover it was missing from its usual spot. He searched through stacks all over the room, knocking many of them over in frustration while sirens blared outside the window signaling the march. After several minutes of searching and ransacking his bedroom, defeated he grabbed a normal thunder tome before heading back to the outpost.

“It’s not there.” Leo said, Odin gasping in surprise.

“Misplaced maybe?” Niles asked.

“I know where I left it.”

“Maybe Lady Corrin has it. Intending on bringing it to you, perhaps?” Niles suggested as Odin nodded.

“A probable notion.”

Xander and Camilla were positioned strategically at Castle Shirasagi; each unit stationed at a different point around the perimeter as corpses of pegasi and Hoshidan soldiers littered the area around them. Elise was at a nearby medical tent tending to the injured. Iago had rejoined the battle, standing at King Garon’s side overseeing the action. The fact that Leo was noticeably late for the battle only played to his favor, given the cruel and horrific act he had committed. He released his spell on Fort Jinya’s guards, forcing them to reappear with no memory of their absence; the door leading to the bodies of Corrin and Sakura was still sealed, giving the miasma emitting from Sakura time to properly dissipate without notice. Iago always had a knack for the demonic and impure, especially when it came to manipulation for his own pursuits. However, despite being a rather skilled mage he was a clumsy tactician and his plans often failed as a result.

Leo and his retainers joined the battle shortly after Hinoka and her retainers were brutally defeated, their bodies strewn about the other fatalities. Soldiers had already begun entering the castle now that the town was all but completely destroyed, its citizen’s still missing, its militia decimated. The only obstacle standing in Garon's way of total domination was Ryoma and his retainers, a battle which would prove to be difficult for all parties involved.

"Xander!" Leo shouted, moving over to Xander's unit, his retainers close behind.

"Leo, where were you? I wanted to go over today's strategy with you before the battle." Xander said sternly.

"Ah, my apologies Brother... where's Corrin?"

"I assumed she would be with you," He quickly replied. Soldiers from Echo and Garon's personal guard moved all around them in what seemed like a torrent. "We've been ordered to advance, stay in the lower levels, alright? Camilla and I will take the upper floors."

"Of course," Leo said, clutching the thunder tome, "Niles, scout for Corrin. Odin, you're with me."

"Certainly Milord." Niles agreed as he ran off into the crowd. He was an exceptionally skilled tracker, coming from his days as a thief in the slums before devoting his life to Leo. He had underground connections many would never desire, even in obscure places like Hoshido.

After the onslaught on the Great Wall, the Hoshidans that were lucky enough to escape with their lives retreated north to the Flame Tribe, avoiding the inevitable battle at Castle Shirasagi. The castle town had long been evacuated in the event of failure and to minimize casualties, the Flame Tribe having a long standing alliance with Hoshido to provide aid in the war. The number of civilians far outweighed the number of able-bodied soldiers standing guard. Outside of a medical tent sat a sullen prince, as he awaited news of his Mother's recovery.

"Kiragi, you ok?" Shiro asked, walking over to him. Kiragi was normally so joyous and optimistic, but news of his Father's passing and the uncertainty surrounding his Mother's condition weighed heavily on his young shoulders. He remained silent, his chin propped against his knee. Shiro sat down beside him outside the tent.

"I'm sorry, Kiragi, about Uncle Takumi."

"He wouldn't want me to be sad, right? But I feel so lousy. Like I lost my best friend..."

"Yeah, I get it." Shiro stretched, "You feel so useless, sitting around doing nothing, especially seeing all these people who are homeless now because we weren't strong enough to protect them."

"Yeah that helped."

"Er.. sorry. Hey... Kiragi, I think... we're going to be the only ones left."

"Why are you being so dark?" Kiragi asked sternly, staring at Shiro rather fiercely.

"I'm being realistic. I said my goodbyes to Mom and Dad before they sent me here. 'Someone has to carry on the legacy and honor of Hoshido,' as Dad would say." Shiro let out a brief, small smile, though behind that tough exterior he was crushed inside, his final view of them forever etched in his memory. "I guess all I'm good for is my genes."

"Shiro... "

"The fact is that Hoshido will fall. They wouldn't have sent us here if they thought they could win this thing."

Castle Shirasagi itself was grand, statuesque with many floors, most of which had been laden with traps as the castle was long deserted of its staff. Many soldiers were defeated by whatever fighters the Hoshidan army had at its disposal, though the Nohrian army was considerably larger and would ultimately succeed in advancing up the castle toward Ryoma and his retainers.

"Milord, she hasn't been on the battlefield yet." Niles reported to Leo and Odin, who were assisting the guards at the entrance to the castle.

"Odd..." Leo said quietly as he folded his arms.

"However... she was spotted near the Great Wall."

"The Great Wall?.... Fort Jinya, she must have visited Sakura again." He sighed, "I warned her to stay away from there."

"Should I see if she's there Milord?"

"Yes, if she is escort her back safely." Niles nodded as he disappeared into the crowd once more. He passed by wounded soldiers being treated in Elise's medical tent, as well as King Garon and Iago's units before reaching the edge of the city, leaving through its tremendous gates. Niles crossed the through the Great Wall of Suzanoh as Leo's unit moved a few floors up the castle, he and Odin assisting the soldiers with disarming traps and incapacitating enemies as Xander and Camilla made their way to outside the throne room.

Niles waded through the rocks and soft earth outside the Wall, the numerous bodies that littered the ground made the trek more treacherous than it had been previously. Niles, before becoming Leo's retainer had lived a criminal’s life as essential for his survival. He had experienced enough death, blood and sadness in his life that little fazed him regarding the act. Fort Jinya wasn't as heavily guarded since the Nohrian army had progressed so far beyond the strategic point; they had little need for it or the prisoners it contained. He went through the main gates and searched the upstairs conference rooms, finding all of them empty before heading down a long flight of stairs to the prison. The door Iago had sealed was still rather warm, as Niles picked up a familiar stench from behind its large frame. He pushed on the door with heavy force, eventually causing an opening just large enough for him to move through. The miasma had completely dissipated though the room was incredibly dark save for a light pulsating in Sakura's cell. He moved over to the cell door before noticing he was standing in liquid; upon looking to the right he could see the Yato's light, gently illuminating Sakura's body.

Niles pushed open her unlocked cell door, knelt beside her and checked her pulse. She was cold and lifeless; a long slash made its way from her shoulder to her hip. He stood, his knees and the ends of his cape coated in a thin layer of her blood before noticing a second body outside the cell and against the far wall. He made his way over to it, his footsteps splashing the pooled blood beneath them before realizing that the figure he was hovering over, its long white hair colored a bright crimson with shattered armor pieces scattered about was none other than Corrin. Directly above her was the blood stained Brynhildr, her fingers lightly gracing the pages as it lay open.

He was shocked as he raced back up the stairs, getting several of the guards and a torch before heading back down to survey the area. By all accounts, it appeared that Corrin had murdered Sakura, and Leo had murdered Corrin. Though death didn't bother him, something about this incident didn't sit right, rising his suspicions.

"Send a messenger to King Garon at once!" A guard ordered as Niles collected the Brynhildr, removing his cape and wrapping the tome in it. He went into Sakura's cell and collected the Yato, her blood dripping from its blade as another guard placed a dark cloth over her body. He had determined that both deaths were recent, given the state the bodies were in and the freshness of the blood.

"Did any of you see or hear anything?" He grilled the guards as they gathered in the prison.

"No, nothing!" Said one, "Maybe it happened during the night? Guard change?" Answered another. They chatted amongst themselves, seemingly unsure of what to do, their blood coated footsteps making imprints around the cell.

"Lord Leo... "Niles said under his breath as he watched a guard drape a cloth over Corrin's body, "I'm sorry."

The messenger quickly made his way to the front lines and notified Garon, standing off to the far rear of the entrance of Castle Shirasagi as Iago stood nearby. He described the horrific scene at the prison including the fact that Leo's bloodstained Brynhildr was a suspected murder weapon. Garon seemed unfazed by the news, preoccupied with the seize at hand while Iago feigned surprise though internally he was pleased by the development thus far.

"King Garon, aren't you upset?" Iago questioned.

"It matters not." He replied, "Soon all of Hoshido will be mine."

"I see..." Iago was surprised, he fully expected Garon to react much differently over the loss as he calculated how to proceed.

Xander and Camilla were locked in combat with Ryoma in the throne room. The Siegfried and the Raijinto, Ryoma's divine weapon, clashed often and the resulting sparks from their affinities fueled small fires and explosions, making the battle more difficult. Niles returned to the battle, Brynhildr and Yato in hand as a large explosion erupted from the side of the castle, Camilla and her wyvern flying out of the debris with Kagero , Ryoma's retainer, following close behind.

Camilla was injured as blood cascaded down her arm, her wyvern absolutely exhausted from constant maneuvering to avoid Kagero’s onslaught. She was an exceptionally skilled ninja, easily able to match Camilla's speed and power. Kagero lunged at Camilla's wyvern, effectively slicing its wing and forcing it to the ground.

"This is the end for you," Kagero hovered over Camilla, blade in hand. The injuries to her wyvern were too severe to sustain, and Camilla's injuries only made her weaker as she loosely gripped her heavy axe. Nohrian soldiers quickly surrounded them as smoke poured out of the side of the castle. The clanging of steel could be heard, even on the ground below. As the battle continued, Elise exited the medical tent only to see Niles walking toward the castle entrance.

"Niles! Why do you have Corrin's sword?" She quickly asked, noticing it was stained with blood. Niles wasn't known to wield swords well, his appearance with the Yato being incredibly peculiar. She grabbed the Brynhildr from under his arm and unwrapped it, noticing that it too was covered in blood before dropping it as she gasped. Niles only looked at her, deeply sorrowful.

"Lady Elise..." He quickly gathered the Brynhildr, concealing it in his cape once again.

"What's going on!? Where's Corrin!?" She shouted.

"Is that the Yato?" Iago asked slyly as he and several members of Garon's elite guard approached the entrance to the castle. Niles stood silent, clutching the blade in his grasp. "I assume that crude wrapping is concealing the Brynhildr, then?" Elise only looked on, intense worry overcoming her.

"The items you're holding are part of an active investigation. Seize them." He commanded the guards as they moved toward Niles, forcefully taking both weapons from him. Iago removed the cape from the Brynhildr, flipping through its bloodstained pages, concealing his amusement.

"Arrest Prince Leo at once," He ordered, before carefully glaring at Niles, "Just in case you get any bright ideas...hold him." Two guards moved behind Niles, bounding his hands together. Niles only watched Iago in disgust.

"Iago! Stop this!" Elise pleaded, "Why are you arresting Leo!?"

"Princess Elise, have you not heard? Princess Corrin has been murdered."

"M-murdered....?" At first Elise couldn't fully grasp the gravity of what Iago was telling her, she stood in shock, her words difficult as she lightly trembled, "Are you saying... that Leo..."

"The Brynhildr was found at the scene and since Lord Leo is the only one capable of wielding it, he is our only suspect. Murdering a royal is high treason regardless of station, as I'm sure you're aware."

"That doesn't prove anything." Niles retorted, glaring at Iago, "It could have been planted."

"Are you saying he was framed?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying."

A loud shriek erupted from across the battlefield, followed by a wyverns cry. Camilla had successfully bested Kagero with the assistance of the Nohrian soldiers, however she was badly injured and her wyvern had perished from his wounds. She would soon black out from a combination of blood loss and exhaustion; the soldiers quickly carrying her to a nearby medical tent on the opposite side of the castle grounds. Xander stood before the high prince, both severely weakened from their skirmish and the smoke filling the room from the explosion. Xander would dispose of him with the Siegfried after one final clash, signaling the end of a long, devastating war and effectively ending the country of Hoshido.

With no contenders left to fight save for a few rogue soldiers, Garon had successfully seized the once peace loving country. His plot to overthrow the kingdom had succeeded, and he couldn't be more pleased with the outcome, regardless of his own casualties. Many of the Nohrian soldiers exited the building while others attempted to put out the small blaze, though the now gaping hole in its side made the structure very unstable. Xander took the Raijinto as proof of Ryoma's defeat as he steadily made the descent down the castle. Leo and Odin exited the castle only to find themselves surrounded by soldiers.

"Seize him."

Guards gathered around Leo, tightly gripping his arms behind his back causing him to drop the thunder tome. Niles was released though there was little he could do, as Elise stood beside him, sobbing uncontrollably as she watched in horror.

"What is the meaning of this!?" Leo commanded furiously as Odin was separated from Leo.

"You’re being arrested for the murder of Princess Corrin.”

“Corrin’s…. dead…..?” His eyes widened, the shock visible on his face as the guards dragged him from the entrance.

"Brynhidlr was found at the scene. We will be leading the investigation but since you are our only suspect, it is crucial that you be detained. Take him to the prisons." Iago commanded, attempting to hide an intense and conniving smirk.

Fear and anger immediately enveloped Leo as he drug his feet while being taken to Echo's prison. He knew he was completely innocent, having been framed, though the severe shock of the situation stole his words. He wanted to scream, to cry, to rampage in pure anger and resentment. Not only had he lost the woman he loved so dearly a week prior, but now he had lost her completely, and with it, any hope he had of her ever returning.

At the prison he was stripped of his armor, leaving only a black undershirt and dark pants. His wrists were bound in a special type of metal that prevented all spell casting, anchored to the floor far from the cell door. For the next several hours, Leo sat against the wall in complete disbelief, his face riddled with intense pain. Iago had compiled a detailed summary of the scene exactly as he wished it, further implicating Leo.

"It is the belief of this investigation that Leo, second son of the King of Nohr, is responsible for the death of the late Princess Corrin, second daughter of the King. Our reasons for such beliefs are below:

Princess Corrin was discovered next to Brynhildr, its pages covered in what we have confirmed to be her blood. Prince Leo is the only mage truly capable of utilizing this advanced tome.

Princess Corrin's wounds were synonymous with the unique element that the Brynhildr produces. There is no doubt that this is the weapon that ended her existence.

Princess Sakura, prisoner of Nohr, has injuries consistent with a sword, presumably the Yato as it was found near her body.

End report."

"That's all it says." Niles rolled up the scroll; he and Odin sat outside the cell of their liege as he looked at them with such palpable sadness. He was truly miserable, and felt as if his very soul was being ripped to pieces.

"Did you see anything different? Any other tomes? Markings? Anything at all...?" Odin asked.

"I wouldn't know what tome made what injury, I'm not a mage." Niles sighed, "Something about this doesn't sit right."

"I'd never harm her..." Leo said quietly through mangled breaths.

"Hm... if only her body wasn't guarded..." Odin began, putting a hand to his chin and stroking it slowly. Corrin's body had been moved from the prison in Fort Jinya to one of the upper conference rooms.

"What are you getting at?" Niles asked curiously.

"I could tell if an injury was made by the Brynhildr, or a regular old tome, or a tome with the might of forty two sages!... or even a sword."

"I can get you in." Niles smiled mischievously.

"Don't risk your lives for me..." Leo said, his back to the cell wall as he looked up at the moon beaming through the bars of the skylight above them.

"We're your retainers. We knew what we were getting into." Niles smirked, "I think we'll be doing our own investigating then."

"Do not worry Milord! You have the special protection only the chosen one of darkness can provide," Odin stood and assumed a peculiar stance, purposefully twitching his hand, "Odin Dark will investigate this crime and prove his lord's innocence!"

"Was that really necessary?" Niles cringed. Leo offered a very short smile, finding comfort in the fact that despite all he was forced to endure, he still had people who believed in him.

Odin and Niles left the prison under the cover of night, moving slowly as to not be detected by the numerous guards in the encampment, many of whom were disgruntled due to their new positions immediately following the battle. Niles scaled the side of the Fort, unlocking and entering from a nearby window before letting down a rope for Odin to climb. They slowly moved through the rooms and due to the lackadaisical attitude of several of the soldiers there, they found little resistance through the hallways including the door guarding Corrin’s body.

Niles put a finger to his lips, signaling Odin to keep quiet as he inspected the wound, its placement between her breasts before looking to Niles and shaking his head. The two quickly and carefully left the Fort, attempting not to trigger suspicions among the guards. They made their way to a storage room near the prison once free of the Fort and the Wall.

"So, was it the Brynhildr?" Niles huffed, catching his breath.

"That's the thing... it LOOKED like the Brynhildr."

"What was the nod for then!?" He asked sternly.

"I believe what we have here is a well executed forgery!" Odin exclaimed.

"A ... forgery? Can you even forge a tome?" Niles asked quizzically.

"A thief, a mastermind of criminality and questionable ethics is asking me, a humble mage, if forgery is possible?"

"............Odin."

"Yes it's possible." Odin answered quickly.

"Then I suppose we have a clue. But who would make a tome that could replicate something that's one of a kind?"

"That I don't know. I thought only Lord Leo had that sort of raw, magical prowess." Odin shook his head as the case was becoming more perplexing by the minute, though at least they had something substantial to go on.

"We should investigate the home. We know Lady Corrin left after Lord Leo did, maybe there’s a clue." Niles commanded as Odin nodded, the pair heading out of the storage room and to the home of Leo and Corrin which was unusually quiet and dark. They crept up the stairs to the home, noticing the door was unlocked. Their servants lived in their own homes with their families; the home being dark at this hour wasn't unusual, though the lack of presence from Forrest and Kana who would be understandably upset was concerning. It was also entirely plausible that the pair would rather not have stayed in that home that night given the days events. Regardless, they cautiously opened the door and proceeded inside.

"Watch yourself, something isn't right here..." Niles warned, "I'll search this room, you start in here."

"Got it."

Niles looked around the bedroom, finding numerous tomes and journals, the writing inside alluding to nothing particularly useful. The wardrobe was as bland an object as it ever was, and overall the room had no signs of suspicious activity. In fact it looked as it always had, the various tomes that Leo had knocked over in his earlier frustrations tidied up.

Odin's search was more fruitful as he discovered the note left to Corrin tucked underneath the parlor table, its instructions as ominous as its handwriting. In his surprise he let down his guard, not noticing the room had become significantly colder as an icy dagger flew by his arm, lightly slicing it.

"Tch...!" He immediately grabbed his newly wounded arm as he quickly turned, only to meet six more daggers flying towards various spots on his body. Niles, upon hearing the commotion quickly ran to the parlor only to also be met with daggers, avoiding them by ducking behind the wall. Odin grabbed a thunder tome from one of the many stacks in the room casting it in the direction of the daggers, effectively illuminating Flora.

She used her ice powers to freeze parts of the room, making conditions hazardous. Both Odin and Niles were having issues standing as the floor became slick, and Niles was essentially weaponless, having not brought his bow. He grabbed one of Flora's daggers from the floor, hoping to detain her while Odin immobilized her, though her agility and advantage with ice proved difficult to manage. Odin's lightning would prove powerful in the end as she eventually faltered as a result of his onslaught, Niles coming up behind her and binding her wrists. He pushed her to the ground, his knee digging into her back as he held her arms.

"Why did you attack us!?" Niles demanded as Flora remained silent. She slightly squirmed in a vain attempt to break free, though Niles applied more pressure to keep her still. After she stopped struggling, he picked her up and tied her to the parlor chair as Odin lit one of the nearby lamps.

"Look," Odin handed Niles the letter he found.

"She was set up." Niles determined.

"That isn't Lord Leo's handwriting, is it?"

"It doesn’t look like it. Who gave Corrin this letter?" Niles demanded, shoving it in Flora's face. She ignored him, staring at the floor and remaining silent. "Do you know something about her murder?" He roared, as Flora's eyes slowly closed, Odin noticing a small pool at her feet. He bent down to feel it as it grew and began to spread, noticing it was completely intangible, almost like a thick fog.

"What is this?" Niles asked as he reached for it, perplexed by its appearance as he was also unable to feel it.

"She's one of the Ice Tribe twins isn't she? Maybe it's part of her powers?" Odin assessed as he rose, Niles following soon after.

"Maybe..."

"That is so cool." He said excitedly.

"Is this really the time for that? We need to get back to Lord Leo."

"What do we do with her?" Odin and Niles elected to drop Flora off at the infirmary before continuing onward to Leo, the fog like substance dissipating though she had completely blacked out in the process. They encountered Xander just outside the prison; he seemed shaken and deep in thought. Not many things affected the Prince so intensely, though the death of someone he regarded as a sister and loved so dearly struck a chord. This was worsened by Leo's supposed involvement as processing the situation was excruciatingly difficult.

"Lord Xander, good evening." Niles smirked as Xander moved over toward them.

"Hm? Odin your arm..."

"Oh this? Training exercise injury Lord Xander, nothing to worry about!" He responded cheerfully.

"Training this late?" Xander asked.

"The moonlight fuels my magic with such fervor that it is the most ample time for a proper session! It's the culmination of darkness whispering and dancing among the beams of soft, sweet moonlight that perpetuate a truly wondrous displa---"

"Enough enough. Get that checked, won't you?" Xander put a hand to his forehead before walking past the both of them.

"That was genius." Niles snickered, "Who knew your oddity would save us?"

"You could say it was a... refreshing experience. Get it? Refreshing, cool?" Odin was obviously pleased with himself.

"No." Niles replied sternly as they entered the prison, moving past the guard and down the hall to the further most cell where they found Leo with his knees to his head, concealing his face. The atmosphere in the prison had changed significantly, they could both sense a deep hatred and rage that was building and intensifying greatly.

"Milord, we've returned, with good news!" Odin said excitedly as he sat on the ground in front of his cell, Niles quickly falling suit, "The wound couldn't have been done by the Brynhildr!" Leo remained silent, making no movement.

"Ahem..." Odin cleared his throat, "I think what we have here is a well executed forgery of epic proportions...!" Leo's silence continued.

"We also found a note addressed to Corrin telling her to go to Fort Jinya. The handwriting is inconsistent, it can't possibly be yours." Niles said, glancing at the note. Leo, still silent, moved his head slightly, his hair ruffling by the gesture. Odin leaned back to rest on his palms as Niles rested an elbow on his knee, placing his chin in his palm. "We were attacked by your maid too, but she wouldn't say anything."

Several minutes passed before Leo made any other movements or gestures, sliding his leg down slightly and wiping his cheeks to the best of his ability given his situation. He loudly exhaled.

"Does anyone else know?..." Leo said quietly, looking up at the both of them, his eyes filled with sorrow. It pained him to be seen so vulnerably.

"No Milord, we came straight here." Niles answered, to which Leo slowly nodded before averting his eyes to the floor once again.

“Hmm….” Odin began, folding his arms, “We’ve got an injury that looks like the Brynhildr but isn’t the Brynhildr meaning a possible fake Brynhildr, and an ominous note seething with darkness that cannot possibly be Lord Leo’s handwriting.”

“I feel like we’re missing something crucial here.” Niles stretched, leaning back against the wall.

“That maid? Why did she attack us?”

“Maybe we should try talking to her.”

The following day, Xander left Echo and headed toward King Garon as he was standing at the entrance to Castle Shirasagi, overseeing its reconstruction. In his hand he was holding the damning report given by Iago, but hearing Leo’s testimony yesterday and the pain and anguish he was in caused a sea of doubt. He desperately wanted to believe that Leo couldn’t possibly do anything that vile or cruel to someone he loved so dearly. There were many peculiar things about the event, though even he couldn't deny that Leo was late for their meeting when called earlier that morning when the crime supposedly occurred.

“Father, an audience, please.” Xander asked, walking up to Garon.

“Not now.” He commanded.

“It’s about the investigation into Corrin’s death,” Xander gripped tightly at the report.

“That doesn’t matter.”

“Father?..” Xander was taken aback by the coldness of Garon’s sudden admission.

“Her death is insignificant.” Garon’s eyes were dark and unfeeling, his face was rigid.

“But, Father…”

“That’s enough. She served her purpose. Leave me.”

“ _Her… purpose?”_ Xander thought as he left the castle entrance, confused by his words. Corrin was used by Garon shortly after her release from the North Tower to kill Mikoto, effectively lowering the barrier she had risen which protected the Kingdom and ultimately allowed Garon to take it. He proudly stood on Hoshidan soil, having greatly expanded his territory, the Raijinto firmly at his hip as a war trophy.

Later, at the infirmary, Flora was still unconscious from the prior evening as Niles and Odin stood above her, Felicia in a nearby chair. She was cold, not unusual given her heritage, but steadily breathing.

"She's been out the entire time?" Niles asked, arms crossed.

"Yes... they don't know why, no healing staves will work." Felicia said anxiously as she took her sister's hand, its fingertips slowly turning a blue hue. This condition often happened to Felicia as well, especially after exerting their power.

"Hmmm... did you see some weird fog, Felicia?" Odin asked, referencing the evening before.

"Weird... fog?"

"Yeah, it was weird like, we could see it at her feet but not touch it or sense it. Would it be part of her powers?" Odin asked curiously.

"No.. we don't have any sort of fog power." Felicia shook her head.

"Another dead end." Odin sighed.

"Would you at least know why she attacked us?" Niles asked.

"No idea... Forrest and Kana weren't home... no one should have been there, including Flora... we were told to stay away because Iago was investigating it for clues."

"Interesting... there was no security at all, except for her." Niles' voice perked up, "I think that's a solid clue then."

Odin and Niles left the infirmary shortly after, with a new lead. Corrin's home was nearby, suddenly under heavy security by Garon's elite guard, a stark contrast to the night before. Back at the prison, Elise was visiting Leo as Forrest and Kana were being overseen by Jakob at a nearby home, though Kana was especially inconsolable and Forrest mostly kept to himself. Jakob himself was incredibly distraught over having lost the one person he thought truly understood and accepted him.

"Come on, just one bite? You haven't eaten since yesterday..." Elise said, holding up the spoon, "It's your favorite! Beef stew!"

"I'm not hungry, Elise." Leo quietly replied.

"Please...? Just a little..?" She asked as Leo slowly shook his head out of her reach. She lowered the spoon back into the bowl, swirling it in the hot broth. Leo refused to meet her gaze, electing to stare at the wall.

"Leo... I.. I know you didn't do it," She said somberly, "We all know you didn't..."

"Xander believes I did." Leo hastily retorted.

"N-no... no! He doesn't! He's just confused... we're all confused.." She began to sob, purposefully looking away from Leo as to attempt to conceal it. She wiped at her cheeks as she grasped at her skirt. "Corrin's gone... you're here... Camilla is in the infirmary...it's just a .. a lot."

Elise moved over to Leo's side as she looked to him, her eyes laced with tears. He looked at her and moved his shoulder, motioning for her to lay against him. She did so, wrapping her hands around his arm as she quietly wept. He lay his head against hers. Xander returned to the prison to find Elise sobbing wistfully into Leo's shoulder. Leo noticed his presence and stared only daggers through him as he opened the door, altering Elise to his arrival. She quickly stood, giving him a look of concern as her cheeks were red and puffy from all her crying.

"Father has no interest in Corrin's death." Xander stated.

"No interest...?" Elise softly responded.

"I asked to speak with him about it and he told me that she had 'fulfilled her purpose.' It was a peculiar conversation to be sure, but I have doubts that he was the one that ordered an investigation." Xander sighed.

"Do you remember, Brother... all those years ago when he gave her Ganglari..?" Leo said as he stood, the chains clanging as they moved along the stone floor.

"I do." Xander nodded.

"She told you about how the sword exploded in the Hoshidan square and killed her mother... right?" Leo said sternly, his eyes filled with a deep ferocity.

"I... never even made that connection." Xander bowed his head.

"So Father used her?" Elise frowned and wiped her cheeks as more tears poured.

"Even if he did user he to start the war, it isn't like Father to use such cowardly tactics against someone he wanted dead."

"Does this mean you'll let Leo go?" Elise asked hopefully.

"I can't do that," Xander slightly cringed.

"But Xander! You know Leo couldn't have done it, right!? There's no reason to hold him here!" She pleaded as she tugged on his arm.

"Elise... it's alright. He has to keep up appearances." Leo smirked.

"Appearances!?" She shouted.

"Elise, have you visited Camilla yet? I believe she'd enjoy seeing you." Xander replied, patting her head.

"Brother! Why are you dismissing me? I'm not a child!"

"No, you're a lovely young lady with a large heart. Camilla needs you now. Perhaps one of them can take you?" Xander looked toward the cell door, referencing Niles and Odin who were listening nearby in the hallway. They had thought they were better hidden than they appeared to be, as they stood in front of the cell doors.

"As a thief, I'm as impressed with your skill Lord Xander, as I am disappointed in mine." Niles smirked as he folded his arms.

"Don't disregard yourself, Niles. It was Odin who I noticed." He stated as Odin jolted from surprise. "Perhaps you'd be willing to escort Elise to the infirmary?"

"Of course, Milord." Odin nodded as Elise picked up the tray with the cold soup, taking it with her as they moved out of earshot.

"Now then, I suppose you have something to report?" Xander asked, looking at Niles.

"Well..." Niles glanced at Leo, "I apologize Milord, but I'd rather speak to Lord Leo privately."

"Understood." Xander turned and moved through the cell door, turning back to Leo as he hit the edge of the bars, "By the way, I've ordered a proper, private burial for the Hoshidan royals. I believe she would have wanted that." Xander quietly left the prison and moved aimlessly around the encampment before he too, noticed that there was an inordinate amount of guards stationed at Corrin's home. Odin had led Elise to the infirmary to visit Camilla, still severely injured from her prior battle with Kagero, though conscious and unaware of Corrin's death. The siblings had chosen not to tell her and sworn all staff to secrecy as to prevent the severe anguish it would cause her.

Back at the Flame Tribe, news of Oboro's impending death swept through, causing unrest and uncertainty among the remaining Hoshidans. Kiragi was understandably distraught, having lost one parent already and the other at any moment. While Xander had spared Kiragi at the behest of Corrin, Oboro wasn't nearly as fortunate as she surrendered to her injuries. Everyday more Hoshidan warriors were perishing from their injuries, shrinking their numbers ever further as Garon gave the order to seek out any remaining Hoshidans and eliminate them, in an effort to remove any cause for uprising in the future. A ninja scout had reported back to Shiro about the events at the castle at the hands of Nohr, and how now Shiro had lost both of his parents, effectively proving his premonition to be correct. Given the new order of execution and the limited land opportunities that Nohr did not control, moving would prove risky, though as the newly appointed High Prince of Hoshido, he had little choice. He would gather a small army to act as counsel in order to determine new strategies as Kiragi stayed by Oboro's side.

The construction to repair the castle went on well into the night as Garon retired, leaving Iago to oversee construction and management. Niles had stayed at the prison with Leo the entire time as Odin returned after escorting Elise to the home where Kana and Forrest were staying as theirs was seized.

"Okay, let's look at what we have so far then," Odin stated, pulling out a piece of parchment, a quill and some ink as he looked to Niles.

"Fake Brynhildr markings, the note, Flora attacking us when everyone was ordered away from the home, and King Garon's nonchalant attitude towards the death of his own daughter." Niles said, elbow on his knee and chin in his palm. "The question is, how do they all fit together?"

“Lord Leo… I’ve been thinking,” Odin began, leaning backwards, “Is it possible that someone placed a curse on her?”

“A curse?” Niles quickly answered, “You mean with the whole forgetting him thing?”

“Wait, you knew about that!?” Odin was surprised; Leo had commanded that his words never leave the storage room they were in when he confided in him.

“Of course I did. Lord Leo told us a few days ago but I had a feeling it was Lady Corrin by the way they were acting toward one another."

“Huh, I never knew you were that good at solving riddles!” He exclaimed.

“I wouldn’t call it a riddle. Either way, a curse would make sense…so if we add that to the list.."

"We need to determine who would want to place a curse on her."

"Iago." Leo said quickly, startling them both as they quickly turned to meet his gaze.

"Looks like we have our next target!" Odin smiled, quickly jotting down Iago's name on the parchment, "Let's stop by the infirmary first, there's something I think we should do."

Since Corrin's release from the North Tower, Iago had been after her for numerous things, including summoning Faceless to mercilessly attack her at multiple intervals and setting her up for treason on more than one occasion. His disdain for Corrin seemed to run deep and Garon was all too eager to let it, having given him a direct order to make her suffer. In fact he enjoyed finding new ways to torture or hurt her, though he had never directly plotted to kill her until his actions in the prison. It would be sheer coincidence that he happened upon the writings that would ultimately give him the insight into parallel worlds.

Iago was in the deepest part of Nohr's underground libraries, typically where books are lain to rest, siphoning through a trove of tomes and scrolls from all over the world in a variety of disciplines in search of new techniques to elevate himself. Iago had no tact or honor, his desire to rid himself of Corrin was growing by the day. This Corrin had to swallow her convictions in order to appease her father, as she was a previously unwilling and heavily sheltered princess, and upon being let into the world she objected her father at every turn to the point of being considered a nuisance. Her sudden disposition change after Cyrkensia was highly suspect; Iago knew she had some sort of ulterior plot but was never able to prove it due to her reluctance to speak in his presence. Both clearly suspected each other for some time, though the Corrin from Hoshido never had much experience with Iago and thus never considered him a real threat. Leo especially knew that Iago often targeted Corrin, though even he questioned the notion that purposefully killing royalty was beyond his limits, and especially that he had the intelligence to successfully inflict curses, though he knew it to be a distinct possibility.

The underground had a vast collection of magic relics, many of them unsalvageable due to having been worn with age or use. One tome in particular was believed to be from an ancient kingdom, and the book itself was rumored to be enchanted with a strong type of magic most mages could only dream about. Despite this book harboring a number of spells ripe for mischief, he disregarded it as nonsense before retreating several floors down. In his search he found several rare tomes, all of which were imbued with various types of magic though nothing of particular interest. It was luck that he happened upon a journal hidden in the depths of a crate covered by abandoned thunder tomes which briefly mentioned the existence of parallel worlds.

"It was then, in my travels, I noted I had met this man before but he had not met me. We were the dearest of friends, but through my dreams I met another man similar in appearance though weary through the world, and he knew of me as if we were the best of friends. I would travel there often, singing and dancing with my friend before he passed, though I often saw him again, though he knew not of me."

Scattered throughout the room were more journals, each more descriptive than the last telling tales of great sorcerers and mages as they transcended time itself, each with a different writer at a different date. Initially he had thought that if he could switch this Corrin with one of a different timeline, perhaps he could control her or at the very least expose her plans to defy Garon. He had heard of a mind switching technique many years ago though it was primarily used on a local scale and very easily abused, hence its ban almost immediately after its discovery. Many of the tomes detailing the technique were ordered destroyed or hidden as a result, though Nohr proudly had one in its possession which Iago studied intently in secret. He expanded upon one of his many signature manipulation methods in which he attacks a person's psyche exploiting their weaknesses to bend them to his will.

It would be several months before he attempted the technique, first using it on random children in the town to observe their reactions and the depth of the spell. The switched seemed to have no indication of why they were changed or why they were being treated so differently by those they came in contact with daily, though he noted one particular girl let out the most blood-curdling shriek upon seeing her friend she had lost to hunger in her world. Altogether, he noted the spell lasted approximately one week before the switched eventually collapsed and the original owner returned. The original owner knew that they had been switched as well, a fact that no matter what he tried, he could not change.

It would be some time before he eventually tested it on himself to visit the Corrin of Hoshido's timeline. While in this timeline, he alerted the original Iago of the spell, leaving a copy of his notes behind. He also briefly observed Corrin, noting how she seemed much more subdued than the Corrin of his time, before quickly returning. It would be many more months before he finally perfected the technique by altering its conditions to his liking, though through all his tweaking he was unable to change the length of time of which the spell would be active, or the fact that the original would know that it was happening.

He began by once again switching with the Iago of Hoshido and planting self-doubt in Corrin's mind by moving her arrow so that it missed the target. He would later expand upon this as he caused the malefic aura which would cause the Takumi of the Nohrian world to appear and frighten the Corrin of Hoshido. Her nightmares were relentless, also preying on the depths of her misfortune and uncertainty. It was startlingly easy for him to control her psyche, a fact which deeply pleased him. He switched back to his original timeline and briefly observed his Corrin's actions before finally unleashing the spell on her.

Iago's spell initially succeeded beautifully as he documented his triumph, though it would ultimately fail. While he thought he could control Corrin, he hadn't thought to seek control of her siblings, who protected and shielded her at every turn. As a result, this Corrin was rarely alone, his influence unable to reach her as promptly as it did in the past. He would do small things to intimidate her, such as seeing an image of a manipulated Takumi outside her bedroom window one night. It would not be until the battle at the Great Wall that he had his first real opportunity to force her to do his will. Iago knew she was married to Takumi and that she would search for him once his body fell, her mind fragile. Once he finally had her isolated, he began to cast another spell which would give him full control over her at her most vulnerable, though he was interrupted by Leo and Corrin's desire to assist him.

Having run out of time, he sought control of the most mentally vulnerable of Corrin's retainers, Flora, to steal the Brynhildr and deliver the damning note which would lead Corrin to her death. Flora's role was rather minor; Iago had preyed on her uncertainties and self-loathing. She had attacked Corrin many years prior at the Ice Tribe during a rebellion and always thought she never properly repented. Given that he knew that the original Corrin knew of the switch, he couldn't risk his secret being exposed, hence the very lazily done framing of Leo. Garon wouldn't necessarily care if she had perished or how, by that respect, but the Nohrian siblings would certainly have him killed. He panicked and killed her to save himself. Her death was an terrible inevitability in this timeline.

Back at Echo, Niles and Odin devised a plan to reach Iago's temporary quarters to search through his belongings for clues. Iago rarely left Garon's side and given his constant aversion to the truth, the likelihood of there being traps placed at the home seemed high. Both Niles and Odin thought it odd that Garon had no remorse or sadness toward someone he supposedly regarded as a daughter, causing them to deduce that perhaps Garon never ordered an investigation in the first place. Iago taking up the reigns would be expected, though sloppy, given he was the true culprit. That night they happened upon Iago's new home outside the castle, Odin noting it was coated in various enchantments which he only had partial ability to diffuse. Iago himself was overseeing the reconstruction of Castle Shirasagi in Garon's stead.

"So we can still get in then?" Niles asked.

"That's the thing, I don't know for sure which enchantment was meant to protect the stuff inside, or keep us out of it. Either way it would take someone like Lord Leo to really dispel these things." Odin sighed as he folded his arms.

"So we could still get in?" Niles smirked.

"Well yes but you could set off---"

"That's all I needed to hear." Niles entered the home through the window, having made quick work of its lock. Even he could see the enchantments riddled about the home on various tomes and objects, like large, conspicuous traps. Odin followed Niles into the home; it was a stately home having been stolen from a noble Hoshidan. Iago quickly made it his, having all of his books, journals, tomes and other personal articles carefully placed inside select rooms while the castle was under construction. They made their way down a hallway noting that several rooms were untouched from the original family to the point their dinner was still sitting on the table.

"I thought I smelled a rat, or two." Iago said, appearing behind Niles and Odin, startling them. "I am surprised though, to be so bold as to sneak into my current residence, well... what are you searching for I wonder?" Niles and Odin stood firm as they remained silent; Odin gripped his tome as Niles slowly readied his bow.

"Hostile, aren't we? Since you're both intruders in my home, shouldn't you at least explain your reasons for being here?" Iago said.

"Did you curse Lady Corrin!?" Odin demanded.

"A curse, you say? Now that doesn't sound like me, does it?" Iago's mouth formed a crooked smile. "It's truly unfortunate what happened to the late Princess Corrin. Pity, really." Niles shot an arrow at Iago who quickly dodged it.

"My, my. Does this mean you suspect I have something to do with her untimely passing?" Iago asked coyly as Niles shot another arrow, missing Iago once again and hitting a stack of hexed tomes behind him, causing a small explosion. In retaliation, Iago struck Niles with his own personal tome, causing Niles to fall quickly to the ground in pain, his bow sliding across the wooden floor. Odin stood in front of his body as Niles braced himself against the wall attempting to stand.

"Why did you do it!?" Odin demanded once more, "Why curse her!?"

"You have no proof that I did anything of the sort, now do you?" Iago stated, "Think carefully boy, these are the types of accusations that can have you tried for treason." Odin's eyes narrowed as he readied his tome. The truth was that Iago was right, Odin had no clear proof that Iago had cursed her or had any involvement in Corrin's death, though the fact that Iago had hexed many of his own belongings was as suspect as his actions. He didn't outright deny having any involvement in her death, nor did Odin have any sort of concrete connection besides Leo's word. For Odin, that was enough. Leo's word was more than sufficient for he to believe that Iago had some involvement and it was the same for Niles.

Odin lashed out, summoning from his thunder tome as Iago retaliated with his own tome, causing a large explosion that engulfed the home in a white smoke and started a small fire. He quickly helped Niles to the back of the home near a window who attempted to unlock it though visibility and air was incredibly poor. Odin used his tome to create a bolt that broke the glass, both climbing out as smoke poured out of the home. Iago appeared to the side of the home in front of both of them, this time with several soldiers in tow. Several small explosions could be heard as the small fire reached the hexed items inside the house. The items themselves were fireproof thanks to the various hexes and charms placed on them, though the traps laden within went off when hit by the fire.

"Arrest them." Iago ordered as soldiers surrounded both Odin and Niles.

"This isn't looking too good..." Odin said, as he held Niles up, still very weakened from Iago's earlier attack. The soldiers took them both and bound their wrists, Odin's with the same material as Leo's and Niles with a stronger steel. Both were thrown into the prison in cells opposite of Leo, their weapons and all items on their persons confiscated.

"I'm sorry, Lord Leo, we failed." Odin said somberly.

"No, I should apologize to both of you. I should never have allowed you to do something so reckless, so... dangerous, all for me." Leo said with a grimace. Odin and Niles could see each other as Leo had moved himself behind a small partition in his cell, only Niles was able to see parts of his legs and feet. Not only was he in considerable and indescribable pain from having lost Corrin just a short while ago, he had jeopardized the safety of the people who cared about him more than any other. It hurt, it tore at his soul, his mind, his heart. No words could convey his true feelings. His heartbeat was rapid and intense.

"Milord, it's all part of the job. We wouldn't have done it if we weren't prepared to get caught." Niles smiled, "Please don't worry about it. We knew this would happen."

"You... knew?" Leo asked.

"Yeah! We've got a backup plan!" Odin said excitedly.

At the infirmary, Felicia dutifully watched over Flora, whose condition hadn't improved, until nightfall when she started to head toward where Forrest and Kana were staying. Along the way she met a very weary Xander, worn with exhaustion.

"Oh! Lord Xander!" She waved him down.

"Ah Felicia, what can I do for you?"

"I was asked to give you this." She said, handing him the parchment Odin had written earlier. She waved as she left; Xander opened the parchment and read its notes:

"Lord Xander, by the time you're reading this note my ~~un~~ trustworthy colleague and I have been thrown into prison with Lord Leo. We greatly ask for your assistance as we have a lead on the true culprit of this heinous and most vicious of crimes!

Brynhildr markings not from Brynhildr  
Note telling Corrin to go to Fort Jinya  
Flora attacked us when house was ordered evacuated  
King Garon  
She was cursed a week ago (?) by Iago maybe(?)

Was she acting different around you last week? She was cursed! She wasn't Corrin!"

"Cursed? A week ago..." Xander thought, remembering her extreme hesitation at the battle of the Great Wall of Suzanoh, and her pleading for the life of the young Hoshidan prince. Both were highly uncharacteristic of Corrin, and then she had spoken out of turn at the war meeting the few days before that. Suddenly it clicked; this Corrin had been changed somehow and the only one capable of such a feat would be Iago, as evidenced by his penchant for the dark arts and the fact he had been mercilessly attacking her for years. The rest seemed to fit as well, since Xander knew firsthand that Garon had no desire to oversee any sort of investigation. Xander hurried to the prison, incapacitated its guard and took the keys to the shackles. He unlocked Leo's cell first, standing over his younger brother whose eyes were wide and mulled with confusion. He removed Leo's shackles and helped him to his feet, and resting his hands on his shoulders, he apologized.

"I'm sorry, for doubting you Brother. I hope that you can forgive me someday." Xander left Leo standing in his cell as he freely rubbed his wrists. Xander freed Niles and Odin, both of whom were extremely excited.

"See? I told you we had a backup plan!" Odin said as he ran into Leo's cell, wrapping an arm around him. Niles followed, moving slowly from his earlier injury.

"I suggest we immediately confront Iago about this. Stop by the armory and secure your weaponry, I'll meet you at the gate." Xander left them as Niles and Odin celebrated, Leo only watched Xander has he left the prison. His change of heart was sudden, though deeply appreciated. They made their way to the armory, securing a new bow and quiver for Niles, and a thunder tome for Odin. Leo elected to take a fire tome, considering he was still absent the seized Brynhildr.

"Milord, maybe you should sit this one out." Niles said as they headed for the gate, "You're still rather weak."

"I have to agree Milord, we can handle this with Lord Xander, just stand back and watch the glory as we avenge our fallen lady!" Odin said, raising his hand to the sky.

"I want to fight." Leo said as he walked by Niles and Odin, both of them having stopped. Leo looked thin, paler than usual and his face was worn. The last two days had really traumatized him and it showed. There were deep imprints on his wrists from the shackles that his sleeves weren't long enough to conceal. "I want to know the truth." He started walking toward Xander as Niles and Odin quickly tagged behind.

Xander led them through the encampment and back to the Castle Shirasagi where they passed by many makeshift graves for fallen soldiers of all types, including the graves for the Hoshidan royals. Xander had requested they be placed in a peaceful wooded area marked by sakura trees, with proper rights and cryptic headstones, alluding to who was buried there as to not raise suspicions among Nohrians loyal to Garon. Iago's temporary home had been incinerated, the items he had hexed surviving due to the barrier he had placed on them. His newer place of residence was in the castle itself, having been mostly repaired and deemed inhabitable, as Garon made private use of many of the uppermost floors. Xander moved through the lower floors of the castle, its walls standing though the atmosphere damaged and forlorn. He moved to the hall where Iago was stationed and flew open the doors with a large amount of force.

"Why... Prince Xander, what an expected surprised." He said slyly, his hands behind his back.

"I'll only ask this once, did you have anything to do with Corrin's sudden change or her murder?" Xander asked, moving closer to Iago as Niles and Odin entered the room, Niles shutting the doors behind them. Leo moved further down along the corridor, entering Iago's private quarters.

"What are you insinuating?"

"Don't make me repeat myself." Xander drew Siegfried and held it dangerously close to Iago's throat.

"You have no proof."

"You're not denying it!" Odin shouted, assuming a battle stance as Niles readied his bow.

Meanwhile, In Iago's room, Leo easily dispelled many of the hexes and enchantments that he had on his things, uncovering many of his notes about the parallel worlds. As he moved about the room, he found the real Brynhildr, many of its pages torn and covered in Corrin's blood. He carefully held it at his side as he continued the search. The room was peppered with journals, both new and old and each with a different theory about transcending time and worlds. After searching the room and finding many nondescript things, he could sense an active hex hidden under a floorboard under the bed. He retrieved it, the hex proving difficult to remove although he did succeed. The journal was troubling as it contained Iago's notes on visiting the Corrin of Hoshido's world.

"This visit was most eventful. That Corrin is so docile and naive, her boundless confidence is non-existent. The perfect target."

His words enraged Leo as he flipped through the journal; Iago had detailed his experiences with the children, his visits to the other worlds and the last page was written on the day he performed the switch. He hadn't kept a log since then, including when he bewitched Flora into being his personal messenger slave. He took the Brynhildr and the journal to the hall where they had cornered him, he stared intently at Iago as he walked up near Xander.

"You switched their minds so you could control her," Leo stated, tossing the journal at his feet, "You killed her... because you ran out of time to cover up your mistake. You... " He cringed as he held up the Brynhildr, it's glow illuminating the room as the pages flipped quickly, he cast its spell in Iago's direction only for him to just slightly dodge it. Niles shot multiple arrows, Iago again dodging as Xander chased him with the Siegfried, it's weight and might proving troublesome against Iago's teleportation magic. Odin too, was unsuccessful as he quickly teleported around the room. Iago would shoot random blasts of miasma at them in coordination with his own magic, which made it difficult to breath and maneuver at times. They bounced repeatedly around the room, bolts of thunder of varying colors and degrees as well as arrows flew in all directions. Xander in a stroke of luck, pinned Iago to the wall by his shoulder, the Seigfried running him through.

"Now now Prince Xander, you can't be sure..." He spurted blood as he grasped the blade with one hand, his tome with the other, "That what he says is true, the boys a murderer after all..."

"I suggest you watch your words." Niles said, aiming straight between Iago's eyes.

"Leo, this is your call." Xander said, staring Iago in the eyes as blood trickled down his chin. Leo walked over to him, giving him a cold stare though even that was undeserving of someone so vile who had taken so much from him. With a flick of his wrist, he used Brynhildr to run Iago through, it's branches going through his chest and skull, killing him instantly. Iago 's body fell to the floor as Xander pulled his sword from his body, blood dripping from the end of the blade.

"Leo," Xander moved over to him, placing his hand on his shoulder. Leo stared at Iago's corpse before forming an intense grimace, slightly hunching over and tightly gripping the Brynhildr. Xander pulled him into an embrace, Leo lightly trembling with rage as tears cascaded down his cheeks. Over the next several hours, Iago's room was thoroughly searched and all material regarding parallel worlds was confiscated. The tome Iago had used to attack them was the faux-Brynhildr, doctored to have a different cover as to be undetectable. Flora had made a full recovery and aided in the comfort of Forrest and Kana, Leo holding no ill will toward her once he learned her role. In fact, Leo had requested all the material that Iago had on parallel worlds to study, and he did so privately, growing sadder by the moment as all the signs were there, signs he had easily missed. Garon couldn't be bothered with Iago's death, having what he ultimately wanted. It would take many days before a sense of normalcy began to set in, Garon ordering Leo and Xander to return to Nohr to oversee the country.

A year later, many things had changed. Garon was eventually exposed as a soulless tyrant of a monster, prompting his immediate defeat and dismissal which in turn caused Xander to assume the crown. He attempted to make peace with the Hoshidans, offering them land and food in exchange for their cooperation. Shiro was crowned the new King of Hoshido, though the countries footprint had shrunk considerably, as did the number of Hoshidan's in favor of Nohrian hatred. Odin had returned to his homeland, leaving Leo's service. Leo had recovered mildly from the ordeal, though he kept up his studies of parallel worlds, finding it more interesting than deadly with time. His resentment of Iago was still palpable, despite his death. Iago had successfully killed Corrin through a terribly convoluted plot, as he wanted to control her for his benefit and to stop whatever plan against Garon she had in place. In theory, he did just that. With her death signaled the end of Corrin's plan, though it too would eventually fail, as Garon was exposed. Overall, Corrin's death was in vain, an inevitable consequence of fate.

Leo sat at a nearby desk, quill in hand, staring at a blank piece of parchment. To his left were a large bunch of white roses in a large vase, while to his right sat a small vase with a cherry blossom. He tapped the quill on the page multiple times before finally writing.

"It's been so long since we've spoke, I'm not sure how to articulate what to say. Do you remember when I taught you how to waltz?" He shook his head before dipping his quill in the ink and making small lines through what he wrote. He sat at the table for several minutes, still tapping on the page.

"Milord, it's almost time." Niles said, knocking lightly on the door.

"Alright," Leo answered as he dipped into the ink pot once more.

"I miss you." He wrote slowly as one of the rose petals broke away and fell slowly to the table. It had no reason to as the roses were healthy and vibrant, freshly picked. He picked up the petal, feeling its softness. "Heh, I guess that means you miss me too?" He whispered, before closing his hand around the petal and sliding it into his pocket.

The party was a grand affair celebrating Camilla's recent wedding, a sweet, fleeting happiness the Kingdom longed to see. Leo was dressed in a long coat of deep purple with many ruffles and embellishments, specially made for him by Forrest.

"Papa!" Kana said, running up to him outside the hall where the party was being held, dressed handsomely in a regal outfit made of deep blue. Forrest followed behind, his white hair long and straight.

"You two look rather dashing." Leo smiled as Kana laughed, "Why not go on inside?" Kana scurried into the party with Forrest following close behind as Niles walked up behind Leo.

"You know, I'd like to see you settle down sometime." Leo said to Niles, causing his cheeks to flush, "I think it would do you some good." Both entered the party as Leo leaned against a wall, Niles closely following suit as they watched the dancers.

_It's strange. This party is so lively and everyone is so happy. I can honestly say I never expected this, especially not so soon after a war. It seems so... peaceful. Like a dread has lifted._

The war was long and devastating. It all but destroyed one royal family, while permanently fracturing another. With the help of Odin, Niles and Xander, they had uncovered a sinister plot aimed at political control, though the one responsible was finally apprehended through his own laziness at covering his tracks. Leo deduced that his Corrin was lost during their initial switch, and he assumed the Corrin from Hoshido's final moments were terrifying at the least. Be that as it may, he still felt her presence near him constantly, he longed to see her face lying next to him when he woke, he wished for her to be with them then they went to festivals.

_They say time heals all wounds, no matter how deep. I still feel you near me, even now. I'm sure your hand is in mine._

_Are you happy? Wherever you are. Could I visit you sometime? Maybe?  
_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So.. Parallel is basically two stories in one, one that follows Leo and the other that follows Hoshido!Corrin. I don't know if I properly conveyed that during this entire... 40k word project, but I hope it came out alright. Again lots of symbolism that ties the two worlds together and call backs to earlier chapters, especially at the end. The white roses symbolize Nohr in its rebirth while the tiny Sakura blossom represents the small, devastated Hoshido. I don't think Leo would actually visit the other Corrin, some things are still very painful regardless of how much time has passed, and given that Hoshido!Leo is now King, seeing Xander and Elise again may be VERY problematic. I do think that given Leo's naturally curious nature, he would always wonder what it would be like and study it often as this was something he didn't know existed (hence his reaction to Hoshido!Corrin in earlier chapters). 
> 
> I wish I had introduced Shiro sooner, I didn't intend to make him such a downer. I also left the entire thing mildly open-ended in the event there's a second part to this story, but I truly doubt that there will be. If you wanna write it, go for it! :D I'd love to read it! 
> 
> Also... just CAUSE... my castle code - 03347-87320 53412-52799. Visit me, where I'm married to Laslow, ironically enough. I give presents!


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